Barcelona Diary 2018

In Ampuero. Up at 10. Chocolate and churros for breakfast. More good news about Barcelona: Dora called the electric company, and apparently has forestalled any interruption in the electric service to the apartment. We'll deal with water and gas and internet when we get there.

Out before 2 with Dora. Walked to center of Ampuero. Many cafes open, but no other businesses. Wandered around, then she announced she had to take a taxi to visit someone. So I gave her some money, showed her the taxi rank, and I walked home. Got rained on a bit for the last 1/4 mile. Home before 3.

Very windy in late afternoon.

Dora finally home before 6. She has a leasurely dinner, then finally starts to pack. She's convinced she's a master-packer, but in fact what happens tonight is that same that happens most times: as I warned her, she has twice as much stuff as will fit, and by the deadline she's only half-packed and furious at me for not helping (but when I help, everything I do is wrong). I hoped to get into the car at 8, but she's packing and packing and screaming at anyone who tries to hurry her. I plead with her, and carry bag after bag down to the car.

Finally she is done, leaving a heap of stuff in the room. We don't get going in the car until 8:30; we're definitely going to miss our 8:40 bus in Laredo. Tense in the car all the way. We pull in to the bus station about 3 minutes late, and fortunately I'm able to run over to the bus and flag them down. Dora can't be bothered to hurry over there as I asked her to do. The bus had the doors closed and the driver was putting it into reverse, but he stops and opens up for us.

We haul about 12 bags of stuff into the bus, driver checks our names on the list, take the only 2 open seats, everyone on the bus is mad that we've delayed them by 10 minutes. But we're on.

Cooling down on trip to Bilbao. Out at the station, light rain, move all the bags under the roof, hit the bathroom.

After half an hour, bus to Barcelona starts loading on the other side of the parking lot, so haul everything across. At first, it looks like the luggage compartment is full, but the other side is empty. Finally we're on. Uneventful trip, made a bit uncomfortable by temperature too high. Stop at same big rest-stop that we stopped at on the way out, but this time the bus left just about right on time, and I had to hustle to catch it.

Into Barcelona ahead of schedule. 90% of the passengers got off at Sants Estacio. We went to end of line at Estacio Nord. Got the huge pile of luggage off. Dora disappeared for 15 minutes to the bathroom. Then relayed the luggage over and up the elevator and to the taxi rank. We need a big taxi, so had to wait, but not too long. Into taxi and we're off.

Short ride to our hotel by 7:30 or so, and dumped the pile of luggage on the street-corner. Hotel entrance doesn't look good, it looks like an apartment building, unattended and no way to buzz in. But someone answers when Dora calls the phone, buzzes us in, and we move all the luggage inside. Up to Reception on 4th floor, and a huge relief to find we can get into the room now instead of having to wait until official check-in time of 3 PM.

Relay the luggage down to 1st floor and into room. Small but okay. I have the first decent shower I've had in 2 weeks, plenty of hot water.

We're supposed to meet the lawyer at 9, but we don't get out of the room until 9:15 or more. To Metro, L1 to F-i-P, to lawyer's office before 10. No one home, then his son arrives and lets us in, soon we decide not to wait for the father, then as we're leaving we buump into him, and go back inside. I thought it would be a quick "get the keys and go", but instead Dora was in with him for 45 minutes or more talking about her various cases.

Out, and we're sleepy and starving. To a cafe nearby, get food and drink, then I'm having trouble keeping Dora focused on the main goals: getting into the apartment, getting the utilities going, etc. She's talking to other people about other things.

Finally out, and going the wrong drection, away from the apartment and to a bank. Where Dora takes 30 minutes or more trying to straighten out various things.

Up toward the apartment, and we stop in a phone shop. I recharge my mobile SIM, Dora picks up a phone she left there to be unlocked.

Finally to the apartment by 1 or so. Keys work, we pick up mail, then upstairs and into the apartment. I think it looks pretty good cosmetically, pretty clean and undamaged, but Dora picks out every little patched spot on the walls, every scrape on the floor (most of them probably from long before the apartment was rented to these people).

But some issues: no refrigerator, no dishwasher, no washing machine [later, we find out her sister had refrigerator and dishwasher moved to her place in the south when she rented out this place, annd gave away the washing machine]. No gas and water. The electric is on; the stove and oven work, the air-conditioner and associated fan work. Can't test the heater and the water-heater and the toilets and sinks and showers, because the gas and water are off. We're not sure if someone has turned off the valves to the apartment, or the utility company has done it, and the building-manager-friend we have here is not answering his phone. Ceiling lights in the living room have been removed for some reason. There's no microwave; probably that ended up in the south too.

So, we have Dora's parents and niece arriving in 2 days. We have zero furniture, few appliances, no gas or water. Also no towels and bedsheets and cutlery and dinnerware and cookware. Lots of those last things in Sanlucar and Jerez, so I don't want to buy a lot here. If we bought some decent mattresses, bare minimum of the other stuff, and got the gas and water going, this apartment would be livable for a while. Really need to buy a washing machine, I guess.

Again I can't get Dora moving; I want to get out and to the utility company offices and then to a store to look at mattresses, but she wants to take pictures of every little patch on the walls and scrape on the floors.

Finally out around 2:30. One utility company wants everything done online, other wants details that only the sister has. Dora hands that one over to the sister.

To a cafe for food and drink and bathrooms. We lounge for a while, and I want to get down the street to El Corte Ingles to look at mattresses and refrigerators. But Dora is talking on the phone and texting. Then she gets a call that her medical test scheduled for 8:50 tonight has to be done before 5, the doctor is leaving after 5. It's 5 minutes to 4 by the time we get out of the cafe.

To Virrei Amat metro, long ride to Sants Estacio, connect, to Maria Cristina, hustle up the hill to the hospital. Where we then make every wrong turn we can, up and down floors, etc. Finally to a counter, where I think Dora is being told we came to the wrong facility. She disappears, I think into a bathroom, and I wait and wait. Finally call her on the phone, we still aren't meeting, finally we meet. Turns out the news is good: she had the test she came for, it's another one that will be done tomorrow, not today. But a third test she wants will be done now; we go downstairs and I do my best to sleep while she waits almost 30 minutes and then the test takes another almost 30 minutes.

Done and mostly out around 7. She chats with a friend of her son who's working there as a nurse, then we're out. Take a different route back to Avinguda Diagonal, looking for a restaurant. Find a PERFECT place, interesting Indian place, only to be told that dinner doesn't start serving until 8:30.

Down to the big shopping center at Diagonal, and eventually find a "Vienna" cafe that turns out to be decent. We're planning to go to El Corte Ingles and then IKEA afterward, but we're running out of energy.

Out of cafe, get lost in a shopping center for 10 minutes, then across street to El Corte Ingles. Find the mattresses, but the sale is only 20%, and prices are horrifying. Find the appliances, and prices are okay, €400 for refrigerator/freezer, €340 for washing machine, €130 or so for microwave.

Out, sit for a while, then into Metro. Long ride to Catalunya, connect, one stop, out, to hotel, into room by 9:30. Dora soon sleeping heavily. Up at 7:15. Dora was up before 6, yet still is late getting out the door after 8 for her 0830 hospital appointment, gets €20 from me to take the taxi. Standard pattern: be late, fix it with my money.

I went out at 8. Around block and to a cafe for a coffee and criossant. Street art: pic. To print shop at Urquinaona, where it took 20 minutes to make just 3 copies and print my residency photos. This PC doesn't work, switch to that one, photos wrong size, came out with second set of photos which also probably are too big. Metro to Sant Marti, out, looked for place to print photos again. Found a shop, took them 20+ minutes to print what probably is the right size, and they charged 6x what the other shop charged. I suspect they're punishing me for not having them take the photos themselves.

Across street and into the extranjeria office, to try to notify them of my address change. Usual situation: line unclear, finally pushed through and talked to the guy. You'd think the receptionist at the foreigner's office would have SOME English, I know I should speak more Spanish, but this guy has ZERO English. Finally someone else translated, I knew I wouldn't get a new card, but I have to file the form, guy says I need a cita that looks like I'm renewing residency, but it will be at a different office. I'll go home and try online. Absolutely standard result for this place; at least I was in and out in 10 minutes. Back into Metro, home before 10:15.

Online, was able to make pediatrician cita for the niece, and an extranjeria cita (same office; other office the guy specified is not listed). Getting that second cita is a bit of a miracle; people try online for days or weeks to get such a cita.

Out with a big suitcase and a bag on top, all full of coats and other clothing. To Metro, to F-i-P, and hauled it to the apartment. I'm in a hurry to get there, because I have to continue om with documents to meet Dora at INEM. Although I'm sure she'll be late.

I dump the suitcase and bag in the apartment, grab the small suitcase full of documents, head up to INEM on Valldaura. I arrive 3 minutes after the 11:45 appointment time. No sign of Dora. I settle in to wait.

Try calling her, finally get brief contact, she's well late. She comes in over an hour past the appointment time. Soon she's seeing various officials, and unfortunately I have to haul all the heavy stuff up the stairs twice.

Finally out, and we're both hungry, and I'm tired and aching, my neck got pinched somehow as I slept. Down to a cafe near Llucmajor. I duck out to an ATM while the food is being cooked. A big meal, we both needed it. Dora dawdling a bit at the end, but not as bad as usual. The apartment's water still hasn't been sorted out, and that's trouble. Handyman still not found, problem.

Out of cafe, down to apartment, empty out suitcase and bag I brought earlier. Dora taking her time, and suddenly I find she's later for her NEXT medical appointment, at 4 across town. [And she's made ANOTHER appointment for early tomorrow morning; I think the apartment should be a higher priority.]

Out, and she heads to L5 while I head to L1, with empty suitcase. Into hotel room before 4.

Waited there, doing internet, as Dora was at the hospital waiting and then having some test. I was dehydrated today; drank 7 cups of water and still peeing very little.

Dora didn't finish at hospital until after 6. When she called me, I left and got on L1. She has to walk downhill to the Metro and go about 4 stops on L3, and I have to go about 6 stops on L1. We'll meet in Placa Espanya train station.

So of course I get there, train leaving in 10 minutes, I wait, no Dora, train leaves. Another leaving in 10 minutes, I wait, Dora shows up 30 seconds after it goes. Why did it take her so long to get here ? No idea.

Next train in 20 minutes. We go have a coffee 100 yards away. But when the train comes, Dora is on the phone with the water company, won't walk down the tunnel to the train, we miss it. 15 minutes to next train.

We get onto that one 10 minutes early, and sit in comfort while we wait. Dora says the water company (and gas company) says the service to the apartment was not cut, so just somewhere there are valves we need to open. That's good news, because the name-change on the water bill just is not happening, they want info we don't have.

To Europa Fira station, walk to IKEA, get there before 8. Dora gets sucked into signing up for some kind of loan-card, wastes 10+ minutes of precious time. This store closes at 9.

Finally we get to the mattress section. Lots of fairly expensive mattresses, but we home in on the cheap ones. They don't feel any different than the expensive ones, mostly. Hard to tell. We settle on one twin-sized (90 x 200 cm) for €129 and three double/bigger-sized (160 x 200 cm) for €249 each.

Wait for a sales clerk, finally get him, he tries to sell us €550 of bases for the mattresses. Maybe it's a good deal, maybe it's not, but I say no. We haven't checked prices on those, we don't need them right away, and I don't want the order delayed if one of them is out of stock or something.

Add €55 for delivery, and then the bad news: can't deliver tomorrow, it will be Friday afternoon. Which means tomorrow night the 5 of us will have to sleep on heaps of coats and comforters and such. This is why I tried to get us to IKEA several times over the last couple of days, but we never made it because medical appointments and such kept chewing up all our time.

Put €931 on my credit card, to another station to pay without having to stand through the long cashier lines downstairs. Then we wind our way out of the store, which takes 10 minutes. I hate the layout of this place, I hate being stuck anywhere.

To train station, wait only 10 minutes or so, train to Placa Espanya, L1 metro back to hotel. Arrive by 9:40 or so. Eat some food and drink we just bought from a small store.

I'm out again at 10:30 or so, with one very heavy suitcase. To Metro, a bear of a job hauling it down the steps. Onto train, to F-i-P, hauled it to the apartment. Dumped out the contents, put the smaller suitcase of documents inside it. Then started searching the apartment again for any main gas or water valves. Eventually decided they must be outside the apartment, probably downstairs in the main hallway.

Out of apartment after 11:30, to F-i-P metro, ride to Urquinaona. My exit closed, as they're closing for the night. To other exit, up, home by 12:15 or so. Surprised to find that Dora is out; thought she'd be asleep. But she's out looking for coffee. I'm in bed after 1, she by 1:30. Dora up with pain around 5:30, maybe. I'm up at 6:30.

Start moving out of the room before 7. Dora goes upstairs to check out, I haul all the luggage down to the ground floor, then out the door. Lots of free taxis go by while I wait for Dora. Finally she's out, and we have no trouble hailing a large taxi. Load in, and we're off.

To the apartment, unload luggage, I haul it up through elevator. Dora knocks on door of the house lady, and chats with her. Apparently they open the water cabinet with a special key the lady has, but they're unable to get the water working, they don't know what to do.

Dora up and into apartment, luggage in. Soon she's off to get a taxi to hospital for several medical appointments, starting at 0815.

I'm out around 8:15, to L5 metro, ride to Diagonal station. Walk down and across to extranjeria office, but I'm her before 9, they're not open yet. To a cafe for coffee and chocolate croissant and use the bathroom.

To extranjeria office after 9:15, no line, guy speaks no English but is helpful. Very simple operation to change address: fill out a small form, show ID card and padron, done in 5+ minutes, no fee. Wonderful !

Out and back to metro and back to Virrei Amat station. Down and across to ferreteria run by my friend.

We chat, I tell him all the stuff that's been going on with Peru and moving back here and Dora's back injury etc. Nice conversation. Then I tell him about our water and gas problems in the apartment. He sells me a very weird standard water key, and a possible key for the gas cabinet, total €6.

Stop in Condi's to buy two big jugs of water; if we have no running water, at least we can use bottled water to drink and shower and cook and flush toilets. Lug them home.

Call Dora, and she says ALL of her medical appointments were cancelled ! But she has other errands to do.

I take the new keys downstairs. Gas key doesn't fit anything, but the weird water key opens the water cabinet. Up and down a couple of times before I spot the problem: each apartment has TWO valves, and one of ours still is off. Turn it on, and hear water running ! Go upstairs to apartment, and cold water works everywhere, sinks and toilets and showers. Now the apartment is livable.

Call Dora, and she's happy about the water, but wants hot water.

Fiddle with the heat and water-heater, and I seem to get some hot water, but not sure if it's real or just room-temp contents of the tank. Pretty sure we're not getting gas for the house-heater. Not sure what powers the water-heater.

Out before noon, and walked up to the public library. Did computer and phone and charging and internet.

Done around 1, stopped at Dia for groceries on the way home. At home, figured out the hot-water heater and I tnink it's working. It's a heat-exchanger system using solar water panels on the building roof. So all you need to do is run enough water through it and you start getting hot water.

Dora called, and I went to meet her in BBVA on Borbo. Waited a bit for her, had to give her €150 to pay something. Then around the corner and lunch in a cafe. Good news: she's finally had contact with the handyman-friend; he's been out of town working hard on home repair in Girona. So on Saturday we might see him and get our (somewhatt unknown) items out of storage and maybe get the gas turned on.

I gave Dora €150 to pay for lunch and buy bedspreads and such, left before 3:30, hit ATM, then hustled down to F-i-P metro. One stop to Sant Andreu, hustled a couple of blocks to the train station. Thought I'd get the train with 5 minutes to spare, but I had less than 2 minutes.

Took train to airport. Arrived at T2, shuttle bus to T1, to Arrivals just before 5. Plane with Dora's parents and niece is listed as having landed.

Waited 20-25 minutes for them to appear out of baggage claim. Down to taxi rank, and filled a large taxi with luggage and us. Long fairly fast ride to the apartment; taxi/bus lanes let us cut right through the city without too much problem. Paid €40, luggage and people out, hauled everything up to the apartment by 6:30 or so.

And found that Dora had done nothing, not even showered, in the 3 hours since I left her. I thought she was going to buy bedspreads etc, at least. Nothing.

So while she showered, I hustled out to Dia for groceries. Home, and found Dora and father going out. Went with them to a Pakistani shop, bought some blankets and plastic tableware and more. I carried it home while Dora and father continued to a bedding shop. I returned and met them there, supplied €120 (where is the €150 I gave her earlier ?), we came out with three big bags of towels and pillows and more. I took 2 of them home, father took one, then I went back out to meet Dora at the Peruvian chicken shop. But she wasn't there, no sign of her, and I searched. Went home. She called, somehow thinks the chicken shop was closed, she's getting food from somewhere else. I took a shower. Eventually she was home with chicken.

The only entertainment in the house for the niece is some videos on my computer, so we watched some parts of those.

Tonight, we're all sleeping on a couple of layers of coats and such, with a couple of layers of blankets on top, and we have pillows. No heat, but the weather here has been moderate, it's only slightly cool in the apartment. Usual story with Dora: although she's out of "bed" by 6:45 or so, she just cannot get out the door on time to her 0830 medical appointment halfway across the city. She spent 45 minutes sorting papers or something. 0820, still in bathroom. Finally she's leaving at 0825.

I'm out at 0915 or so. To local ferreteria. I'm surprised when the guy says he can duplicate the building keys for me; maybe he's doing me a favor. Dora said they could be duplicated only at one place at great expense. But he makes 3 duplicates for me, for €8 each.

To Dia for groceries, then home. Bad news: only one of the 3 new keys works in the building front door. Using a screwdriver I just bought, I take the cylinder out of the apartment door lock. Back to the ferreteria. After some head-scratching, the guy realizes blanks from two types were mixed together in one slot on his rack. Worse, he has no more of the one I need. So I got only one new key for the building door. He subtracts the €16 I paid for the two bad keys, and I buy a cylinder and 5 keys for the apartment door. Would have been additional €49, I pay €33.

Back home, put new cylinder in apartment door, all is well. Done by 10:10. Hand out keys to Dora's parents.

To library after 10:30, to do internet. Phone connected to Wi-Fi okay, but laptop gave me fits, never did get Wi-Fi to work on it.

Home, then out with niece for a walk. She's looking for some park she remembers, but there are a zillion parks around here, and she can't describe it. None we go to are the one. Into a store and buy a football, but she's sulky because I won't give her money to buy stuff. Home.

Dora supposed to be home before 1 so we can go do some errands, but no sign of her by 1:45. False alarm with the mattress delivery at 1:45, when someone buzzed us but didn't come to our door. Would have been nice to get that over with. But 5 minutes later the guy who buzzed appeared at our door with 4 mattresses ! Took them in and signed for them. No instructions on the outside as to how to unroll them, but did one the hard way and then the last three the right way. No more sleeping on heaps of coats ! Pics.

Dora called around 2, said she now had appointments at 3, 4:15 and 5:30. So I guess we're not picking up the schoolbooks today; maybe we can at least do the uniforms tonight. I'm fairly irritated at her, keeing us waiting and then not showing up.

Niece having fun using 4th mattress as a gym mat for gymnastics.

I go out for a walk, scoping out times for a movie the niece wants to go to, and finding her school. It's closer to home than I thought.

No messages from Dora, she doesn't answer phone calls.

Suddenly at 7:45 Dora calls, she's nearby, and there's a big "Three Kings" parade too. I go out and meet her at the bookstore, and we get 8 out of 9 schoolbooks we ordered for the niece. Everyone lining F-i-P, waiting for the parade. Home to drop everything off.

Out again, towing the niece with us, and to El Corte Ingles. Pick up all the niece's uniforms and other clothing for school.

Heading out, and I want to stop somewhere for food. But the niece is mad that Dora won't let her spend the €50 she got for Christmas, and she dashes out ahead of us, heading home. I manage to keep her mostly in sight, and she stops a few times to look back and see that we're following. Home by 9:20 or so. Missed the parade, but I've seen similar before. More important that we got the school things, especially since this is a holiday weekend and those two stores might not be open tomorrow. School starts on Monday. Up at 9:45 or so. Neck and rib aching, and a slight headache. Took an ibuprofen around 6 and a paracetamol-plus around 8. I've been taking one or two ibuprofen a day for the last several days because of various aches.

Like pulling teeth to get Dora moving, through shower. We're all going out together, have some key errands to do, and this is a holiday weekend. But it's like herding cats, can't get us out the door until noon or so.

Down toward Heron City Center. Stop in an estanco to order paper/pens/etc for niece for school. Stop in farmacia to drop off prescription. To McDonald's in HCC. Order food and eat. No AC outlets at all in here, it must be deliberate. Takes forever to get Dora to get on her laptop and the Wi-Fi and do bank transfers to pay rent for Jerez apartment and son's Kosice apartment. This always is a week-long fight between us; rent due on 1st but contract is not violated until 7th, so I want to pay on 1/2/3 and Dora wants to pay on 6th at midnight.

Finally out. Turns out Dora didn't know about a laundromat here, despite telling me several times she did. Back up street, parents far behind. I wait for 15+ minutes outside estanco while Dora buys school supplies; how can it possibly take so long ? [Later, I found she spent €50, got ruler and other drawing/measuring tools, plastic covering for books, highlighters, etc.] Then she's out. I go home and drop off the stuff. Come back out, no sign of Dora and niece. Find her father, but no sign of mother. Take father to the ATM, but his bankbook doesn't work. Call Dora, she says she's a block away, but then takes 10 minutes to arrive. Meanwhile her father and I have gone a couple of different places, but many things are closed now that it is after 2 PM.

We go up F-i-P and Molist, but all the things we want are closed. I do manage to recharge my phone SIM with €5. Into pastisseria, and they're closing, we buy some stuff and leave. Realize no one knows where Dora's mother is, and she doesn't have a building door key. Go home, and she's waiting nearby.

Out again at 4:30 or so. All of us, up to F-i-P and down to niece's school, to show where it is. Then around corner to Chinese restaurant for dinner. Good food, but it came out of order (main before appetizers), and half of us had our food 10 minutes before the other half had theirs. Pics. Then at the end, Dora had a big dispute with the staff about getting a "factura", a legal receipt she can use for a tax deduction. She always does this, and it always adds 10 minutes to getting out of a restaurant or store. Finally I paid and walked out, and a few minutes later Dora came out too.

The other 3 went home, and Dora and I went for a bit of a walk, then to a farmacia, then to a small grocery store for bread and soda. Home by 6:30 or so, then soon I was going back out to that store to buy laundry detergent. Doing laundry in the bathtub.

At 8, Dora and niece out to mass, and to ask to sign up niece for a First Communion group. Niece comes home at 10, gives me some story about accidentally going up and taking Communion at mass, so now she doesn't have to do First Communion. Dora home at 10:30, laughs when I tell her the story, I think it's a joke between them. But ten minutes later, Dora comes out and repeats it.

Watching videos on my computer with Dora and niece. Groaning out of bed before 11. Headache; took a Tonopan and an ibuprofen. No hot water. Grey and raining outside.

Dora's father went out and bought a laundry-drying rack. Okay, we need it. But I'm trying to resist their impulse to buy lots of stuff, because a truckload of stuff should arrive from Sanlucar at the end of the month. But of course that's 3 weeks away.

We also have some unknown stuff in storage nearby, but the handyman controlling that storage isn't answering his phone, again. Also need him to fix the gas and hot water.

Dora and father and niece out after noon, to a movie.

I went out at about 12:40. To ATM for cash. To several shops, bought a cook-pot and a mug and some tea. Back home, showed Dora's mother water heating on the stove, fixings for tea available; she was grateful.

Out again at 1:30, and to HCC to meet Dora and crew coming out of the movie. But got there, messaged her, and found they were in the supermarket under HCC. Went down there, found out the movie wasn't when the machine told me it was, they have to go back at 4:30. So they went to McDonald's instead. I was just in time to pay €50 for the groceries and carry the heaviest two bags back home through the rain. Home by 2:15.

I heat a pot of water on the stove and take a sponge-bath in the bathroom. Come out feeling a lot better.

At 3:20, I'm out again to quickly buy meat and sauce, so we can make spaghetti. Home again, Dora starts cooking, but she and niece have to go out soon to movie. True to form, she runs out of time, and then I find that she's done her usual with spaghetti: cook ALL of the pasta, the whole package, not matter how big. So she and niece leave, and parents and I are looking at about 4 kilos of spaghetti. They each have a small bowl, I eat a couple bowls, and tons are left.

Dora and niece home at 7:30. They ducked out of the movie early, I think it was too scary. So they went shopping in El Corte Ingles for a couple of hours.

Settled down in our bedroom to watch "Titanic" on my laptop, at Dora's demand, and in 30 seconds Dora was asleep. I soon turn off the movie and just listen to my MP3 player.

Up at 9:45, and Dora startles awake and thinks it's morning. She goes back to sleep. I super-glue a couple of things: a doorstop, and my shoes. Up at 7:45. Cold outside. Everyone getting ready for niece's first day of school in new school. But first Dora and I have to dash to the health center, apparently.

So, by 8:15 we were hustling to the health center. Waiting room is full, but Dora barged her way to the Information desk and got her stuff done. To niece's school, and met niece and parents on nearby corner with 10 minutes to spare. To school, and inside before the students are allowed in. Soon in a conference room with the director doing paperwork and explaining rules etc. Dora and I scramble to get together enough cash to pay for 2 months, about €275. Niece is a little emotional as she's led away to class.

Dora takes off for a medical appointment across town, parents head home, I try to do free Wi-Fi in nearby park. But after 10+ minutes the download freezes, and I'm cold too. Head home, meeting parents on the street, and dropping in to ferreteria to consult with my friend about getting a handyman to look at gas and water-heater. Home before 10:30.

To library by 10:45. Wi-Fi working fine. Message from Dora that we'll be getting stuff out of storage at 1. Out of libraray, stopped at ATM, home before 12:30.

Out before 1, to other side of building, where the storage is. Surprised to see Dora's mother there. She was on the phone, and soon said it's been postponed until 2:30.

Back home, got my stuff, out again. To key-shop, had two more building door keys made (€16). To Dia for groceries. Home, and met niece and mother going out to McDonald's to eat.

Dora home before 2, and wants to go out to eat. So around the corner to a small cafe, she and her father have meals, I don't want anything, I ate leftover spaghetti earlier. Around 2:30 I start going out to look for the guy who's going to open the storage. No sign. By 2:45, we're out of the cafe, father goes home, we go to the storage area, nobody around. We head home, get to door, phone call that lady is at the storage.

We go back, find her across the street, go down into the storage. The ladies look around and talk, and I'm impatient, because I know Dora has yet another medical appointment across town in about 30 minutes. And I need Dora to help me haul the heavy washing machine out, to steady it as I haul it on a hand-truck. Finally we start hauling stuff out. Get the washing machine done, head back for more, Dora leaves for her medical. I haul a 4-person dining table, 4 dining chairs, an office chair, a couple of boxes of various lights and curtain rods and such. Father is wiping heavy dust off everything. Done for today at 4.

Connect up the washing-machine and it works fine.

Washed glasses and pans that we got from storage. Found there is some warm water in the tank, so gave myself a head-shampoo in the bathroom sink.

Sometimes I get WhatsApp messages like this from Dora: pic.

Out at 6 or so. To a computer shop, but new charger for niece's laptop would cost €30. To game-shop, and bought a new charger for her Nintendo for €5; she tends to lose chargers. Stopped at a couple of places for a little free Wi-Fi. To Dia for groceries. Home by 7, and Dora arrived a few minutes later.

Out at 8 or so with Dora and niece. To estanco to order some notebooks, then El Corte Ingles for swim gear (surprisingly affordable) for school tomorrow, then back to estanco to pick up the notebooks, then home by 9:30 or so. Up at 9. Cold outside.

Out after 11 with Dora and parents. To health center, find they have no appointments, get temporary health cards.

Out, to bank, and it takes over 90 minutes to straighten out the bank accounts for the parents, transferring them to this branch.

Then Dora and I go to asesoria/finca for the apartment building, and find the sister owes €1850. Out and to a bar where the "president" of the building works, and we have a bad lunch and get some info from him. Home before 2:30.

Dora and niece out at 2:45, to drop niece off at school and then Dora go to a couple of medical appointments.

I'm out at 4:45 with Dora's father. To niece's school to pick her up, then to a church to drop her off at a First Communion class. She wasn't too happy about that.

Stopped at the ferreteria, then Condi's for a couple of groceries. Home, put new battery in garage-door key, still doesn't work.

Out at 6:20, to church, met Dora's parents there, and we all waited for the niece to come out. Home by 6:50.

Went upstairs a couple of times to try to meet the lady with the utility closet keys, but she wasn't there. Then she buzzed our door at 7:20. Went downstairs with her, and as she was opening the first closet, Dora arrived home. So we took pictures of electric meter and water meter, then up to the roof to photograph the gas meter. Hoped to find a gas valve turned off, but it's on. So the problem must be in our heater, or we don't know how to operate it.

So, we're still screwed, no heat, can't get anyone to come look at the heater. Can't find a user manual for it on the internet. Don't smell any gas, so I assume it's not getting gas. Igniter doesn't cause any spark I can see. No pilot flame. I'm reluctant to stick a match up into it.

Chicken and rice for dinner. Before dawn, took a Tonopan and an ibuprofen.

No one set an alarm, so we all jump up when Dora gets up and finds it's 8:50, niece is going to be late for school at 9. Niece and father and I get out the door at about 9, hustle to school, get her there by 9:15 or so. I turn around and hustle back home, since I left without being able to use the bathhoom.

Out after 11 with Dora. Stopped at a gas place, and they'll call a guy who maybe can be there this afternoon. Then to niece's school to drop off documents. Walked Dora to metro, then I stopped at ferreteria to buy electrical tape, then went home. To library by noon.

Got my laptop started at the library, and Dora calls saying I have to go home, the gas guy is coming in 15 minutes. No, her father is home, maybe he can let the guy in. If not, the guy will have to come another time.

I do internet, until library starts closing before 2. So I'm home at 2.

Dora says the gas man was here and everything is working now. I check, and the gas-heater is working, we have tons of hot water. [Later, I found out the gas-heater has had no maintenance for 3 years or so, and the pilot tube was dirty or clogged or something.] It appears I was wrong about what does what: the big tank indeed is a heat-exchanger with the solar on the roof, but it is in series with the other heater, which I thought was an air-heater but actually is a water-heater. The air-heater must be electrical, is elsewhere, and still is not working.

Chicken and rice for dinner.

With help of Dora and her son, I put up one of the ceiling lights in the living room.

Cold evening, inside the apartment and outside. To the library by 6:45, and almost every computer-compatible seat is taken. Worked on gathering data for a Spanish tax form, and various other stuff. Home by 8:30.

Out with Dora at 9 or so. To HCC to exchange an electric kettle, then to a locutorio so she could print some stuff, then an ATM, then home by 10. Up at 7:45, nice hot shower. Repairman arived shortly after 8, to look at the air-heater. Left around 8:45, saying we need a heater technician to fix the system. Actually, he said we need to get the building president to get a technician to fix the collective system on the roof, but I think that's wrong: each apartment has a separate unit on the roof. [Later Dora said there are new laws about things that affect "community pollution", even for repairing the aircon unit inside our apartment; not sure if she's talking about air pollution or disturbing asbestos inside the building or what.]

Out with Dora at 9:20 or so. Down across Meridiana and to INEM/INSS office. She talked to them about her baja, then we asked about my convenio especial, but got directed to another office.

Out and to a cafe for breakfast (Dora) and pastries (me). Then up F-i-P and to gas place, where I paid €90 for the two house-calls of the repairman. To a couple of shops, bought a lightbulb and a small screwdriver set. I'm home by 11:40. Thought Dora would be home soon after me, but 15 minutes later no sign of her, and I headed up to the govt complex.

To TGSS office, had to wait 20+ minutes because I had no cita. Got upstairs and asked a lady about my convenio especial payments. She spoke little English, but I spoke enough Spanish. The answer was unclear, it's a tough question. She consulted with another lady, they think no change, pay to same IBAN.

Out and over to library before 1.

Home by 3:15, and ran into Dora in the elevator coming to join me in the library. Went back into the apartment, and it's time to eat anyway, her mother is cooking chicken.

Out before 5 with Dora. Already late, but she stops to talk with a neighbor about our heat problems etc. To Virrei Amat metro, to Vall d'Hebron, to Mundet. To son's former school, but priest/director is not there as scheduled.

Back onto metro, to Vall d'Hebron. To a cafe for bathroom and coffees and newspapers. To farmacia. Then back into metro and home by 7:30.

Ate some food, then out to Dia for groceries, then out to fruit shop for fruit and veg.

Thought of going to a bar to watch the Barca game on TV, but it's cold out and we're out of energy. Up at 8. To library by 10:05. Fired up Dora's laptop as well as mine and my phone. Got her digital certificate installed. Home again by 11:45 or so. Air-heater repairman is just leaving; heat is working, he replaced a part. I pay €150.

Out around noon. To F-i-P metro, to Universitat. To main medical administration building to ask about convenio especial. They assured me no change because of my move from Andalucia to Catalunya, hard to believe, but I've had that answer from several places now.

Messaged Dora, and I go to meet her at the hospital. [On the way, I see a 50ish guy lying on a bike path, with people helping him and an ambulance just arriving; looks like he fell off a push-scooter and broke his elbow or something.] Find her in a pharmacy nearby. Soon we're into an Indian restaurant for lunch. Pic. Good food, but portions a little small for the price. While we're eating, Dora gets a call from her son, the air-heater in the apartment is leaking water. Have to get the repairman back again.

Down to metro, connect at Sants Estacio, to Virrei Amat. Home by 4:20. Tired.

Called the heater repairman, and good news: he says just run it for an hour, the leaks will stop (maybe seals and gaskets need to get wet). And he's right.

Lentils and rice and egg for dinner. Glued my shoes some more; these shoes came from USA, can't find this size in Spain, and after they got rain-soaked in Ampuero, they've been peeling a bit. Watched the last 2/3 of Titanic on my laptop with Dora and niece. Dora out early, with son, for an 8 AM medical appointment across town.

I'm out to library before 10:30. Filed Spanish ETE tax form. Looked for apartments. Did lots of other stuff.

Home around 2. Soon out again with the niece, to Mercadona in HCC for groceries, then to an estanco to buy a pen for her. Home by 2:45, and Dora and son are home. He has a tale of woe of going with her and the medical appointments were at different times than expected, he had to wait while she shopped, while they ate, while she demanded a factura from the cafe. Same problems I have with her.

To Mercadona in HCC with niece, for chicken and various groceries.

To ATM, locutorio to print some stuff, Dia for groceries.

Niece found my last little tube of super-glue and almost glued her fingers together.

Out at 7:15 with Dora and niece. Fairly warm out. To ATM to send money to various people, then to library through light rain. Dora and I did internet while the niece explored.

Out before 8:30, as they were closing. To a cafe for snacks and drinks, and took a paracetamol. The niece told us a big story about her two boyfriends at school (she's only been going there for 5 days now). Home by 9:45. Took a sumtriptan.

Niece and I, and later Dora and father, watching Titanic on my laptop yet AGAIN. When we were done, I deleted it, I don't ever want to watch it again. Up at 10:15. Watching videos with the niece, and she amused herself by putting hairbands into my hair. They looked horrible when on, hair looked amusing when they're off later: pic.

Out at 1 or so with Dora and her father. At first I thought the niece was going to the park with us, then I thought we three were going for a walk around the neighborhood, then Dora says her father wants to take a bus to "the center", then it turns out he wants to take a bus to Placa Espanya, which is a good deal past "the center". So we hit a cafe for coffee and pastries, then go to the bus stop. Lucky timing, bus comes within 3 minutes.

Long ride, almost an hour, to Placa Espanya. Into Arena shopping center, wander around the top outside for a while, enjoying the views. Out and walk about 12 blocks toward the center, eventually into Urgell metro. Longish ride to F-i-P, walk home, in by 4.

Friedrice-egg-hambits-chickenbits etc for dinner.

Online, re-notarized the boat bill of sale; first one was rejected because signature was machine-generated. Was able to email this one with payment, instead of paper-mailing; nice. Dora up at 6, supposed to go to a 7:30 blood test across town. But she hadn't packed, couldn't find papers, gave up on the blood test.

I went out after 8:30, looking for lightbulbs for the kitchen ceiling fixture. But most places closed, they're an odd type of bulb, only found one that is too long to fit.

Out at 9:15 or so. Hustle to F-i-P metro, buy T-10, go one stop to San Andreu Comtal, to train station. Arrive 10+ minutes early; perfect.

Train to airport. On the way, Dora realizes she forgot to bring her back-pain medicine (but she DOES have her makeup kit). Free shuttle bus to other terminal. Get boarding passes from machine. Through Security. To a cafe for a quick drink and snack. Hustle down to gate, boarding is half-done, soon onto plane.

Arrive Jerez airport around 1:30. Out and to train station, and Dora buys wrong tickets despite me pointing her at the right machine. Onto train, and no one checks tickets. To Jerez, home around 2.

Into the building complex, then we find they've changed the locks on the building doors ! We're stuck for 5 minutes until I hail a passing lady and she lets us in. Up to the apartment, and all is well there. Dora's family stayed here several times, and I feared they had left the heater running or something. But all is fine.

Before 3, I'm out to Mercadona for groceries. Come back home, and find that apparently our door-buzzer isn't working, and foolishly I left my phone at home, so I'm locked out, can't contact Dora to let me in. After 10 minutes, a kid coming homing from school lets me in. Dora goes upstairs to ask the building president, and finds they put new keys in everyone's mailboxes, but not ours for some reason. We'll get ours tonight, I hope.

Pesto-spaghetti and salad for dinner. Wonderful to be cooking again, in my nice kitchen here. I'm going to miss this apartment; what we'll get in Barcelona will be 2/3 the size and 3/2 the price. And it's wonderful to have just 2 of us in the apartment; six of us in the apartment in Barcelona was beginning to wear on me. Of course, this apartment is fully-furnished and the one in Barcelona is mostly empty right now, not even having a refrigerator or TV or microwave.

Dora's sister delivered some documents we need, plus a packet of important medical/employment documents that went missing 6 weeks ago and caused harsh words from Dora to her family.

In the evening, I drank some cava. Haven't had much alcohol in the last month or so. Ate some ice cream, too.

Man came from upstairs at 8:30 to give us a building door-key.

We slept long and deeply. Up at 8:30. After breakfast and computing, I started sorting and throwing away stuff, first steps toward packing up and shipping to Barcelona. Dora supposed to go out to Juzgados, but she's searching and copying documents, and doesn't go out until after 11.

Around 1:30, I go out to have the building door key duplicated. To a shop only a block away, copy made for €1 (would be 2x or 3x as much in Barcelona). Back home, key doesn't work in either door. Back to shop, guy makes a new key. Back home, it doesn't work in either door. Back to shop, guy touches up key, closes shop, and comes with me to see for himself. Key doesn't work in either door. Back to shop, he touches up two keys, I go home, both work in both doors.

To Mercadona for groceries. While I'm there, Dora calls me. She did okay at Juzgados, then went to center to see one of her lawyers. This morning I asked her if she had an appointment, and she said yes. Turns out that a more accurate answer would have been no. And they won't see her without an appointment.

Dora home at 2:30. She stopped at a free workers-association lawyer, who also told her she needed an appointment.

Chicken-zucchini and rice for dinner.

Trying to pack, I showed 15 purses to Dora, and she agreed to donate away only 3 of them. Showed 25 pairs of shoes, with about 30 or so to go, and she agreed to donate 3 pairs, then made me stop showing things to her.

Out after 8, down to the church across the street. Put the purses/shoes/etc in the Caritas donation box, and put the big toy car next to the box. Up at 9:30. Dora out to 11 AM dentist appt, then lawyer. I went out to Mercadona for groceries. Pesto-spaghetti and salad for dinner. Out for a walk in the center in the late afternoon. Dora finally doing some packing in the evening, although I wish she'd throw things away. Up at 10:30. Caught the 1 PM bus to Sanlucar, taking one heavy suitcase and a light plastic cabinet. Other heavy suitcase had to be left at home because Dora has completely filled it with books, so it weighs about 100 kilos.

To sister's house. Looks like she hasn't made much progress at packing to move. I went out and bought chicken, fries, soda, and Dora made rice, and we had dinner. Went to basement, and it's as full as ever. Whenever I point to some big toy her daughter has outgrown, or some stupid big knick-knack, and say she should get rid of it, she refuses. I guess it's all going to Barcelona, to be crammed into the apartment there. She did give me two loads of blankets and such to take to the donation box, and a load of other stuff to take to the garbage.

To center with Dora, stopped at a jewelry-type shop, then caught the 6:15 bus back to Jerez. Home after 7. Got dressed up in a suit, and we're out after 10:30. Down to a waiting car with Dora's sister and a couple of her friends in it, and off to the Registro Central at Juzgados. We weren't sure of the directions, but we got there okay, only had to ask someone at one key intersection.

There by 11, for our 11:30 appointment, and there are half a dozen other groups waiting too. We're here to do "pareja de hecho", civil union. Lots of picture-taking; Dora never tires of having pictures taken.

I felt a little embarrassed; Dora bought rings yesterday, and her sister bought flowers this morning. I should have done that stuff.

We get called in by 11:45 or so, and the five of us are before a judge. He asks me if I understand what's going on, understand the language, and I say "si" and am not quizzed further. I can follow most of what he's saying as he reads a short statement, and Dora and I say that we agree, it's of our own free will, we agree to care for each other, etc. Then four of us are signing a document, we get a "Libro de Familia" that attests to our union, and the judge congratulates us and then we're out. More picture-taking.

Then around the corner to a restaurant, but they're not cooking yet. We have coffees and cakes and a (too-big) glass of wine each, and talk and drink and eat. Pleasant. Pics.

Back into the car and we're home before 1. Feels strange to be wearing a ring.

In early evening, spending money: Paid for plane ticket for son to go back to medical school. Then out at 7 with Dora, to one ATM to get cash, to another ATM to put €680 into youngest sister's account so her husband can start a course to get a commercial driver's license. Into a couple of shops, and bought an MP3 player to replace the one that just died on me. A little cold outside. Home before 8.

I guess I had too much ice cream and alcohol; didn't sleep well, took a sumatriptan before dawn. Online, start the payment for next semester of son's medical school: €5250.

Out at 10:40, trundling one very heavy suitcase, a smaller suitcase, and balancing bags on top. Very foggy morning. To 11 AM bus to Sanlucar. Not sure why we're hauling all this stuff, since a truck will be running from our apartment to the Sanlucar house on Monday. But here we are.

Arrive at sister's house around noon, and it's the usual story. Any suggestion I make about the packing is rejected by one or both sisters, and any suggestion about throwing away or donating anything out of this house is rejected by Dora's sister. So I give up and watch TV.

They do some packing, discuss details, we have something to eat. Then Dora and I are off to catch the 2:10 bus, trundling mostly-empty suitcases. Home by 3:10.

Out to Mercadona for groceries, along the way sneaking some items to the donation box without telling Dora. Came home and found she'd tried on various pairs of shoes as I'd asked, and there were half a dozen pairs and some clothing to donate, so I took those to the donation box. Brought out another 15 pairs or so for Dora to try on.

In the evening, finally got Dora to start doing some packing, mainly by turning off the TV and hiding the remote-control. She gets two big bags of clothes packed, and I make another run to the donation box.

Foggy again outside in the evening, and damp and chilly. Headache in early AM; took a sumatripan.

Up at the crack of 10:15. After noon, Dora finally starting to do some packing. I take a load to the donation box. Chicken-rice-salad for dinner. Slowly, with my prodding, Dora fills 5 or 6 huge plastic bags with clothes, and we fill 3 or 4 big boxes. Two more runs to donation boxes. By 7:30, starting to see light at the end of the tunnel: back bedroom is empty, middle bedroom half done, my office mostly empty, living room cabinets half-done.

I wanted to go to a bar to watch Barca play at 8:45, but Dora is tired and cold and doesn't want to go out, and we have several more hours of packing to do. [I think the game was 0-0 until about minute 65, then Barca won 4-0.]

Results of packing (does not include a couple of suitcases already taken to Sannlucar, and two boxes in another room): pics.

Headache at midnight; took a paracetamol-plus. Up at 7:45. Headache; took a sumatripan.

Out at 8:50 or so. To taxi, to medical clinic. Met guys with moving truck. But SNAFU: the clinic is not open (I told Dora twice yesterday, call the clinic to tell them we're coming, but she refused), and the truck is smaller than we expected. Soon we're all into the truck, and to our apartment. Guy looks at our 8 boxes and 5 bags (so far), and has long discussion with Dora about everything fitting, price, etc, I think.

Eventually we settle on plan B: send almost everything via Correos (post office). Simpler and cheaper than getting a bigger truck and mixing our stuff up with her sister's actions. These guys have to leave now, but they'll be back at 3 to take our boxes to Correos for €50. I print address labels to put on the boxes, then go out to Correos to buy 6 more boxes and another roll of tape (€28) while Dora starts emptying bags of clothes into boxes. I'm home again at 10:30. Looks like each bag is giving two boxes; we're going to need more boxes.

And of course this knocks a hole in our day, and I had a list of half a dozen things for Dora to do before we leave town, 3 days from now. Lawyers, niece's school, hearing-aid place, banks, etc.

We pack some more, until we're out of tape. I go out and buy more, then to Mercadona for groceries. Pesto-spaghetti and salad for dinner. More packing. Then we're out of boxes. I count 17 boxes going to Correos, 4 or 5 suitcases and bags going to sister's house. And we'll still have some more stuff to pack tomorrow and take to Correos or sister, I think.

Movers supposed to show up at 3, but called and said 3:30, then showed up at 4. We needed the extra time, to pack one more box, do another run to donation box, etc.

I guess Dora had told them 10 boxes, so when I said 18, they told her €50 per hour instead of just €50 total. We hustled to get the bags and boxes down into the truck. Then off to Correos, arriving by 4:30 or so.

No line in Correos, and we were able to bring the boxes in a side door. But then each box had to be weighed and stamped separately. I'd been telling Dora she was making the boxes too heavy. Most of them are 20 to 23 kilos, but one is almost 32 kilos, and turns out Correos has a limit of 30 kilos, so we had to put that one back on the truck. I paid €494 to send 17 boxes to Barcelona cheapest way. Out of Correos around 5.

Into truck, up to medical clinic, and brought out echography machine, examining table, TV set belonging to Dora's sister. The machine weighs a ton, can't be disassembled, and the guys really groaned lifting it up the 2 steps into the truck. At first they thought they wouldn't make it, but they did, with a tiny bit of help from me and Dora. I paid them €100 and they left around 5:40.

Dora and I walked a block or two towards home and then settled in a nice cafe for coffee and pastries. Eventually out, walked home, in after 7. Apartment looks a lot emptier now, but still lots of stuff to throw away. And the overweight box went to the sister's house in Sanlucar; we'll have to deal with that tomorrow.

Out to make a run to the donation bin and garbage bin. Later made another run to garbage bin, but now it's full to overflowing. Up at 9:30 or so. I thought we were going to Sanlucar today to deal with the overweight box, but it's in storage, not at sister's house, it will go on the truck to Barcelona.

To Correos and bought another box.

Chicken-rice-salad for dinner.

Around 4, I trundled the packed box to Correos and sent it. Turns out the price is €27.45 if less than 20 KG, €31.90 if more than 20 KG. So of course this box weighed 20.1 KG.

In the evening, it's like pulling teeth to get Dora to do more sorting and throwing-away and packing. Not until late at night does she really start on her jewelry, and I think we're going to have to do another box to Correos to hold all of it, or our clothes. We can't get both of them into one suitcase. Up at 9. Foggy morning. We need TWO more boxes. To Correos and bought them.

At 11:30, suddenly Dora says the owner is coming today at 1, instead of tomorrow morning. So we hustle to pack and donate before he arrives.

Owner arrived just before 1, with a real-estate agent. Dora gave them a tour, we showed two things that are broken (toilet-button and unusual lightbulb) and a thing that needs to be changed now that the building entry is changed (video-phone to buzz people in). All seems good. Owner showed pictures of his newborn grandson. They left around 1:15.

Started cooking, then to Mercadona for a few groceries. Chicken-sausage-rice-salad for dinner. Then took a box to Correos.

Out at 5:15 or so to take the LAST box to Correos. Home, then out again with a bag of garbage.

Out at 6:40, trundling one soft-suitcase with printer inside and TV strapped to the outside, and another heavy suitcase. To bus station, and caught the 7 PM bus to Sanlucar. Dora's sister waiting at the Sanlucar terminal with a taxi, and to her house. Unloaded the stuff, chatted with her for a while, then at 8:50 we're off to the bus terminal again. Caught the 9:10 bus to Jerez, home by 10. Place looking pretty empty, and now no TV. Up at 9. Grey morning, then nice.

Several runs to donation box and garbage. Packing. Cleaning.

Coming down the home stretch after 12. Last cleaning and packing. Out at 12:30, trundling one heavy suitacse and one smaller but heavy suitcase, with a bag perched on top of each. Down to courtyard and then put keys into mailbox for owner to pick up later.

To train station by 12:45, for 1 PM train. To airport, and they didn't mind that our big bag was 1 KG over the limit (after shifting 1.5 KG), and they even checked our smaller suitcase for free !

Through Security, had coffees ar the cafe, onto plane, which was surprisingly full.

Uneventful flight, nothing to see but clouds. Landed at Barcelona around 4. Grey and a little cold here.

Walk, baggage claim, to shuttle bus, to other terminal, over to train, no wait, onto train around 5. To San Andreu Comtal, to Metro, home by 6 or so. I'm tired and sweaty from hauling all the stuff, since Dora has a back injury.

Nice to be with Dora's parents and niece and son again. Turkey-rice for dinner. 9 boxes have been delivered from Jerez so far. And a truck full of stuff from Sanlucar should arrive on Monday.

Out twice, to grocery store and fruit/veg shop.

Out before 9:30 with Dora, to find a bar to watch some of the Barca game. Found a small sports bar on Dr. Molist that I don't think was even going to show the game until we asked, and then half the people didn't even watch. We watched the first half, it was nice, Barca 2-0, home by 10:30.

Didn't sleep well, maybe because of the (one) beer I had at the bar, and the stress of the day. Headache and took a Neobrufen around dawn. Cold, grey, rainy morning. Up at 9:30.

At 11, Correos delivered 9 more boxes, bringing them right up into the apartment, great service. I thought we were going to have to hire a truck here to bring all the boxes from the post office to the apartment.

Out before noon into the cold rain. To ferreteria to buy lightbulbs for kitchen, screw for living-room light fixture, ask about garage opener, chat with my friend Jose who runs the store. To Dia for a few groceries, and hit a slow line. Home after 12:30, and ran into first Dora and then her father on the street, heading out. Handed off my umbrella to the father, so he and the niece will both have one. Put the new bulbs into the kitchen fixture.

Niece home from school from 1:15 to 2:45, and spent most of the time dancing to YouTube videos on my laptop. Turkey and rice for dinner.

Still have headache at 4; took sumatriptan.

While I napped around 5-6, and my headache finally went away, Correos delivered the last two boxes shipped via them from Jerez. So we have 20 now. So many that I can't back away far enough to get them all into a photo: pic. Equivalent of about 4 more boxes should be coming on the moving truck on Monday.

Watching the niece play a videogame, getting to play it a little myself, then we watched some Rabbid and Larva videos on YouTube on my laptop. Then she did dance videos while Dora and her mother were binge-watching telenovellas on the other laptop. I went to bed at midnight; I think they stayed up until well after 1. Up at 10. I think it's coldish but no rain outside. Dora and I out at 11:30 to buy a few groceries. I had big plans to take niece and half of the family to a kids science museum today, but she heard the word "museum" and refuses to go.

After various delays, Dora and I and her father are out around 12:30. A little cold, especially when you're not in the sun. Down to F-i-P metro, to Arc de Triomf station, out. Walked through the Arc and down to Parc Ciutadella. Lots of people and lots of sunshine; nice. See the big fountain, and the mammoth statue.

Eventually across to old town, and into Born CC for a while. More walking, want to look into a church, but we're at the time when churches charge admission, which I won't do. To Via Laetana and into the cafe next to Jaume I metro station. Coffees and chocolate-and-churros and chocolate-criossant and a focacia. Watched some football on the TV.

Eventually out, into metro, out at Llucmajor. Dropped Dora off at a nail-salon, and father and I are home by 3. Weather getting greyer and colder.

Achey; took a Neobrufen. Beef ribs and rice for dinner. Niece throwing a tantrum because I wouldn't let her watch dance videos during dinner.

Out to Dia for groceries. Headache; took a sumatriptan.

Anothr evening of the women watching telenovellas and the niece watching videos. I have to retreat into the bedrooms; this is getting a bit boring. And the niece is monopolizing my laptop, so I can't use it. Up at 9. A little headachy; took ibuprofen.

Online, found that there is a gymnastics/trampoline competition fairly nearby today, but they don't give the times. So I'd like Dora and me and maybe the niece to go to it; niece wants to join a gymnastics club.

Out at 10:30 to go to metro station to buy a couple of T-10 cards. Home again, niece says she wants to go to the competition.

Out after 11 with Dora and niece. Gorgeous sunny fairly warm day. Over to near HCC, tried to find stop for 36 bus, couldn't. Eventually found a stop down on the next street which said 36 bus is discontinued or something, take 4 other buses to accomplish same. We're going in an odd direction, no other good way to get there. So, into a taxi. To sports center near La Pau metro, in, and eventually we find that the gymnastics thing is a big special class, not a competition we can watch.

So, out, and wander down Rambla Prim, and find a nice cafe. Niece orders a lot, I end up eating and drinking half of it. By the time we come out, I'm on a sugar high.

Down to Carrer Cantabria, very confused by the bus stops there. Niece plays in the park for a few minutes, then we're onto the V29 bus. It takes us right near home, on F-i-P. On the way home, we stop at the fruit/veg stop. Coming out, the niece gets into a foul mood about being asked to carry two small bags of fruit, and argues with Dora and me all the way home. Home by 1:20.

Beef and rice for dinner. Debating whether to go to a movie or go out scouting areas for an apartment. Niece wants a movie, we can't agree on one, but finally Dora and I and niece dashed out just before 4 to see Star Wars. I paid €30 for tickets, then niece was upset that I wouldn't buy a basket of popcorn, probably for another €8. Seems this was the whole reason she wanted to go to the movie, to get the popcorn.

Movie okay but not good. To McDonald's afterward for a Happy Meal for the niece. Home by 7:40, in good moods.

Dora and mother soon binge-watching telenovellas again, niece soon watching videos on my laptop again. Dora said the moving truck from Sanlucar should be arriving in late afternoon, so of course at about 8 AM she gets a phone call and says "the truck is here NOW!". We jump out of bed, get dressed, I move stuff out of the way.

Soon movers are bringing stuff up, and Dora's in the bathroom, I can't get any answers about what is on this truck, are the sofas here, etc. Finally she comes out, and still no answers, except that there are no sofas, there will be a SECOND truck in a few days. Great, her sister is paying 2 x €1500 to move mostly stuff she should have thrown away (IMO).

Father and niece head out, delivering niece to school.

We do get the refrigerator, that's good. [Later found that a dishwasher arrived, but we never use that.] A big heavy bag of shampoo and stuff ? Looks like two TV sets, good. All of the old mattresses; Dora said they were dirty and should be thrown away, but her mother and sister disagreed. So I guess I spent €930 on new mattresses that we used for only 3.5 weeks. Maybe Dora and I can take them to our new apartment when we get it, but I'd like to get a furnished apartment.

Looks like sister and mother are going to recreate the old arrangement of this apartment, before they moved to Sanlucar. Stuffed with furniture, lots of stuff stored out on the balconies, etc. I hate that; they have far too much stuff. Sure enough, a big wood-and-glass display cabinet comes in, useful only for displaying some knick-knacks. I would have gotten rid of that. A child's bed that even her mother agrees should have been given away.

I retreat into the bathroom for a shower, and let the movers do their thing. Dora leaves for medical appointments. Her mother directs the movers. I think she's happy to have all of this stuff again.

Movers left at 11:40. Looks like Dora and I have the foundation of a bed but no mattress that fits on top of it. I 'll let her deal with it when she gets home.

Out after 1. Elevator is broken, doors on our floor stuck halfway open. Same happened last time we moved, several years ago; I think this elevator doesn't react well if it tries to close the doors on someone or something.

I run into Dora around the corner, and we go to Pakistani shop and then Dia for groceries. Home, and niece is home from school. Soon dinner. Then open the few unknown boxes that arrived, finding nothing useful, just ornamental stuff to display in the big wood-glass cabinet. Did get a toaster. But no microwave, no silverware, no pots and pans.

And apparently in the process of the loading, her sister in Sanlucar lost her mobile phone or it was stolen. This is a disaster; she uses it for everything. Can't find it in any of the boxes that have arrived here.

I went to pick up the niece from school at 5. She tried to run away from me on the way home, but I kept up with her, to her annoyance.

Out at 5:45 with Dora, niece, parents. Everyone heading to medical center, but I peeled off and went into El Corte Ingles and mailed a set of keys to the owner in Jerez. Then to medical center, found the others, and we waited and waited in a hot waiting room. Niece is mad that I won't give her money to spend in a vending machine.

Finally the parents were in, one at a time, then out. Found the niece, downstairs, and I waited in the cool outside while Dora tried t straighten out the paperwork. Had to leave her father there to wait for the doctor to write prescriptions she forgot to write while seeing him.

We walked toward home, then Dora's mother disappeared. Dora and niece continues home while I went into Mercadona and found her, and helped her buy some groceries. I carried them home, walking at her slow pace. Home by 8.

We were thinking of going out to put out apartment-wanted posters, but Dora was cold and tired, so we didn't go. And we forgot to call the gymnastics club for the niece. Dora out for a 9 AM medical appointment.

Out with Dora around 11:30. To metro, to Camp de l'Arpa. Out and started walking, seeing what the neighborhood is like, and putting up little "apartment wanted" posters on lightpoles and such. We put out all 18 or so that I printed, running out near Hospital Sant Pau. We'll see if we get any responses. Need to print more and put them out. Street art: pic.

To a cafe for coffees. Then Dora into metro to go to another medical appointment. I wandered around Sagrada Familia for a while, then into metro and back to Virrei Amat. To Caprabo for groceries, hit an ATM, home before 2. Dinner.

Put third screw in one light fixture in lliving room ceiling, then removing burnt-out bulb from other fixture. Opening boxes to see if I can find documents we need, and antenna cable for TV. Also getting Dora to call a couple of gymnastics club for the niece.

Out at 5:30. To niece's catechism class (paid €27 for books), to ferreteria, to locutorio to print more apartment posters, to another ferreteria, to Chinese shop to buy lightbulb, to fruit/veg shop, home by 6:45. Put new lightbulb in. Niece and Dora and mother home before 7.

The news from Sanlucar is that Dora's sister has found her phone (good), but can't afford to send a second truck (totally unsurprising to me). But she still has some of our stuff; none of it came on that first truck. A couple of suitcases and a heavy box and a TV and printer. We're not sure if anything very important is in the suitcases and boxes; we can live without them for a while. Headache before dawn; took paracetamol-plus. Dora out to a medical appointment. Up at 9:30. Dora home around 10:30. Opened the rest of the moving boxes, found nothing very useful, no TV cables, no remote-controls for the TVs sent from Sanlucar.

We went out around noon. Put up apartment-wanted posters around Virrei Amat plaza etc. To a couple of ferreterias and another shop, bought TV antenna cable, shower curtain bar, mailbox key duplicated. Home by 1:30.

Connected up the TV and can't get any signal in any mode. Then looked more in our box of electronic junk, and found a cable similar to the one I just bought (but shorter). Waste of €4.

After Dora's mother cooked for the others, I cooked for Dora and me, as we agreed yesterday. Cooked pesto-spaghetti and salad, and then when I put the two plates on the table, the parents said "where's ours ?". Turns out Dora told them this morning that I was going to cook for ALL of us, and never told me. They wouldn't like what I cooked anyway. Dora says no problem, but I'm upset and embarrassed. Sure enough, mother can't eat the sauce I made, she just has plain spaghetti. Father went out hungry to deliver niece to school; he'll eat spaghetti and the leftover sauce when he gets back.

And after saying no truck, it turns out sister is sending a second truck from Sanlucar, tonight. Maybe this one will have some of our stuff on it.

Headache; took a sumatriptan.

And maybe an hour later, Dora and I both felt cold and chills, I had a splitting headache. I started wondering if we had food-poisoning or something. I took a Dolocatil, we both went to bed. Took another hour or more before I started feeling better, but Dora had abdominal pain and vomited. I was up at 8, feeling okay, but she kept sleeping. Dora feeling better by 11 or so. We're feeling okay this morning, I have a slight headache. Alarm went off at 8, truck arrived from Sanlucar at 8:05. Our two suitcases and extra-heavy box arrived on it. Soon tons of stuff, some useful (microwave, our printer), tons of clothes and toys, and a lot I would have donated away instead of shipping.

Out around 11 with Dora, leaving movers still bringing stuff in. Cold and grey out. To niece's school, to ask about payment and other things. Paid €91.50 for four more books. To dentist office to arrange things for Dora. To two more schools, asking about gymnastics programs for the niece, none of the 3 schools were any help at all. To ATM for Dora. To cafe for coffee and pastry. To another shop. To Dia for groceries. Home after 12:30.

Apartment is a mess, hallways clogged. We have a second medical examining table; moved that one into a room. Moved big leather armchairs, put a folding sofa in place, starting to get a little control of things. Dinner.

Weather getting very grey, colder, raining.

Futzed around with 2 of the 3 TV's we have, 1 set-top box, and 4 remote-controls, and found a combination that worked. Our building antenna has lots of digital channels on it, so now we're happy again. We really missed TV.

Out into the cold rain with Dora after 4:30. To Vodafone store, to ask why our monthly bill was €300 again, and why these unknown phone numbers are showing up on the account. Turns out the extra phone numbers are free, available if we need them. And apparently we made €200 of calls last month. I'll have to investigate further.

To a shop to buy a shower-curtain, then to locutorio to print some pages. Home, and hot chocolate. Later, put up the shower bar and curtain.

Thought of going out to a bar to watch Barca play on TV, but we don't feel like going out into the cold. Supposed to be colder tomorrow, too. Out with Dora at 11 or so. Up to local govt complex. Asked about doing pareja de hecho in Catalunya, and guy denied it exists, despite the form I had showing how to apply for it. He told us to go to another office, probably just ANY other office to get rid of us. Then we went to the machine to get copies of our padrons. Doras came out okay, but the machine said I'm not on the padron. I have a paper somewhere at home saying I am on it, so I'll have to find that and come back. Dora asked another agent about pareja, got nowhere. To add to the confusion, we're not clear if our Libro de Familia says we're pareja or married.

Home, grabbed documents, and to metro. To Diagonal station. I led us the wrong way, we came back around, went to Tourist Info in Palau Robert to get more maps. To Triodos bank to close my account there. Started putting up apartment-wanted posters. Into a cafe for coffees and sandwiches; we're chilled. Got a phone call from niece's school; no one picked her up at 1; parents thought we were picking her, for some reason. Out, more posters, eventually into Sagrada Familia metro and home by 3:30.

Had to hunt to find the router we brought from Jerez; the installer is supposed to come this afternoon. Dinner.

Installer for internet/phone arrives at 5:15. I take him up to roof, then down to entranceway. But only the building president has the key he needs to get into the cable closet. He leaves at 5:45. Apparently he and the president will come at 7.

Cable-installer came again at 7:30 or so. Soon a building representative (maybe president) met us downstairs. And she immediately started giving Dora a tirade about her sister not paying the building fees, amounting to total of €1600 or so. She wasn't going to open the utility closet for us. But then Dora says she has paid half of the fees recently (news to me, I told her not to do that, and gave her an earful about it later), and the person unlocked the closet. Then the installer had some trouble figuring out everything, started pulling a new fiber-optic cable, etc. We got a new modem and router. He didn't finish until 10. Cold, fairly windy day. Out at 11 to check hours on a restaurant, and get groceries at Dia. Out again before 1 to buy a long phone-cord. Can't get my laptop to connect through Ethernet to new router, but Wi-Fi works fine.

Out at 2 or 2:30, with parents and niece and Dora, and down several blocks to a Peruvian bar/restaurant. I thought it was a little hole-in-the-wall place, but it turned out to have an upstairs dining room. Not big, not fancy, but okay. Then it turned out they didn't have much choice of food, several items were unavailable, only one fish tamale left, etc. Dora and I had seafood soups which turned out to be large and terrific. Others had ceviche and the one fish tamale, and said they were good. Then we had second course of chicken-fries-salad, which was okay but not great. Basically one choice of soda to drink. €60 for the 5 of us, not particularly cheap. But Dora and her parents enjoyed a taste of their native country.

Out at 4:30 or so. Parents headed home, Dora and niece and I jumped on a bus to go to science museum. But it turns out this bus crosses itself and loops here, and the bus map just doesn't capture that, and we're going the wrong way. Off, walk a little, niece is getting antsy, I decide to take a taxi. Which is pricey at €14, but gets us there.

Free entrance to the museum, thanks to Dora's Caixa card. But we can't get niece's ticket to work, she goes back to front desk twice, finally I just lift her over the gate.

Science museum is okay, I've been here twice before, niece oscillates between interested and not.

Out, onto the nice plaza on top of the museum for 5 minutes, but it's too cold to enjoy it much. Down street to bus stop, then another, then a third, then back to second. 60 bus to Vall d'Hebron, into metro, L5 to Virrei Amat. Walk home, stopping so niece can play in a playground for 5 minutes. Home after 7:15.

Found my padron certificate, so maybe back to govt office on Monday to see why machine is lying. Got ethernet connection working; connector in my laptop is a little intermittent. Cold and grey, then cold and grey and raining steadily. Stayed inside feeling cold. Doing things online. Dinner. Dora and I went out at 4, to a bar to watch first half of Barca game. Home before 5:15. Hot chocolate.

We've flipped the direction we sleep in our bed, to get our heads away from the cold outer wall. The change has Dora all discombobulated, which is amusing to me. Sinus headache before dawn; took a Dolocatil.

Cold, grey and raining. Dora out at 11:15 to dental appointment. I'm out at 1 to buy lightbulb and other stuff at Chinese shop, groceries at Dia, fruit/veg at fruit/veg shop. Not raining.

Dinner. I made pesto-spaghetti again, and Dora had a bad reaction to it again. I guess I won't make that any more.

After I spent several hours over the last couple of days looking for the envelopes of filed papers we brought from Jerez (utilities, banks, schools, etc), Dora admitted she threw it all away instead of bringing it here. So we have to start it again.

Headache later; took a sumatriptan. Cold, grey, wet morning. Out at 10:20 with Dora. To INEM for her cita there. To locutorio so she could print some things. To cafe for coffee and pastry. To Vodafone store. To Chinese shop to buy some more filing envelopes. Home by 1:15.

I'm upset with Dora about a number of financial and paperwork things. Pressing her to straighten out the enormous phone bill, a medical congress she registered for without telling me, niece's school, her social security situation across three countries, more. Headache; took a Neobrufen.

Turns out Dora registered for the Congress but didn't pay yet, so maybe she'll skip it. I found the printer cables and cartridges I've been looking for all week.

Napped, still headachey, took a sumatriptan.

Out to buy printer paper, and fruit.

Big argument about schoolwork between Dora/mother and niece. Out at noon or so with Dora. To school to pay tuition and fee for bouncing payment from bank account. To Vodafone store to contest charges on phone bill, but they said go away, call customer support. To an estanco to buy a stamp, then couldn't find a mailbox to mail my letter, they've all been sealed up. To Dia for groceries. Home by 1:15.

Out at 5. To El Corte Ingles to mail letter and buy a power-cord for TV in one bedroom. Home and got the TV going, everything works except using the remote to turn off the power. Up early, thinking I was going to walk niece to school, but Dora's mother did it. Cold outside.

Out with Dora before noon. Grey, low clouds, extra-cold, maybe it will snow. Put up some more apartment-notices nearby; I think the city workers have torn just about all of the ones we put up previously. Major traffic lights on F-i-P are out; police directing traffic. To butcher shop for beef, pork ribs, chicken.

Raining after 1. Raining harder later, but stopped around 3.

We just huddled inside, feeling chilled, watching TV, doing internet. Watched Barca play on TV, they won 2-0. Cold outside, but clear and sunny. Headache; took a Dolocatil.

Dinner. Then confusion at 2:45, apparently niece is not going to school at 3 because they're doing some Carnaval event today, then Dora's father says niece's teacher wants to see us at 3 ? Dora and I hustle out to school, but a crowd of parents there as kids are coming out in costume for photo opportunities. Dora tries calling the school, no answer, we decide her father got it wrong, and leave.

We look in park near Virrei Amat; most of our apartment-wanted notices have been torn down. Schoolkids running around in costume, and a whole school parading up the sidewalk. To Dia for groceries. Home by 3:45, cold. Hot chocolate.

In the evening, a band playing in the park across the street, but it's too cold to go out. I had suggested that Dora and I go out dancing, or to a parade, or other places, but we just want to stay inside. Supposed to be a bit warmer the next couple days, then cold again Monday.

Watched MIB3 on TV, had a snort of some liquor I bought today, nice. Out at 1 or so to hit ATM and buy a few groceries. Home, then we're all out around 2 to go to a Kebab restaurant near Meridiana. We ordered a little too much food, but managed to eat most of it, taking home a doggie-bag of half of the niece's meal. Stopped in a park for a bit so the niece and I could climb on a big rope-lattice thing. Home by 4.

Out at 7:30 or so with Dora, to go to a fire-parade downtown. Cold but not windy or damp; it's okay. Up to Llucmajor metro, longish ride to Jaume I, out. And the parade is not where it used to be, right down the major street Via Laetana. We go up to Placa Jaume, everyone seems to be heading the other way. Over to cathedral square, and people gathering there.

Soon paraders start arriving, but it takes a while before any "fire" stuff starts happening. The crowd surges back when everything gets going. But this is far inferior to past parades; they've changed the route, I guess to avoid closing the major street. But now it's hard to see anything, the parade has little room to move, etc.

Eventually it moves up the side of the cathedral and to Placa Jaume, where we came from. We wander around and come to the placa via another route, and more fire-stuff goes on for a while. Pics. Still hard to see anything. But people are having fun.

Eventually it starts ending, we wander down to metro stop, soon go in and back to Llucmajor. Home by 9:30. Headache; took ibuprofen-plus. Up at 9:15.

Out after 10:30. to Virrei Amat, metro to Vall d'Hebron then Penitents. Out and met a group of people assembling for a hike; I signed up for this via MeetUp.

Chatted with people, more arrived, the leader recognized me from a couple of hikes with this group 2 years ago. Most people are 30ish, but a couple are my age. All friendly, one from USA, some speak very good English, others speak less. I try to speak some Spanish, but soon lapse into mostly-English.

We're off, in a hard-to-describe route across hills, stopping at a couple of interesting architectural things (unusual cutouts on outside of this building: pics), through a park with an interesting sculpture (Parc Creueta del Coll: pics), etc. We're hill-hopping sideways, parallel to the foothills above the city. Lots of people out and about today: it's slightly cool, but sunny and nice.

Then a tough climb up a rock slope to a hilltop. Down and up and onto the top of Parc Guell, from behind (street art: pics). Then down and up to the top of the Carmel Bunkers, with newly constructed access by the govt and a couple of govt guards keeping watch on everything. Lots of people lounging and hiking. We chat and wander. A serious conversation about Spanish modern politics and history (civil war, Franco, Catalan independence, etc).

I step aside to read an explanation for a couple of minutes, look up, and the group has disappeared. Can't find them. So I head down off the hill, and get totally lost. I have a map, but it doesn't have a lot of street names on it, and roads here are twisty and there's a lot of vertical. No metro stations very close; this area is a bit isolated. First I'm trying to head for El Carmel metro, then I think I'm closer to Horta metro, then I realize I've come down differently and eventually I get to Alfons X metro. Into metro, out at Llucmajor. Home at about 3.

Nice ribs-potato-rice dinner waiting for me. Cold, grey, rainy morning.

Out with Dora around noon. Cold and rainy, miserable. To ferreteria to buy a lightbulb, to school to pay for swimming (€37 registration/year plus €57 charge/3months). To a notario to see about doing a legal document. To fruit/veg store. Home before 1, chilled. Dinner.

Out at 4:30 to Dia for groceries. Out again later in the rain, to two locutorios to buy a calling-card for calling to Peru.

Online, reserved an apartment (this one) in Toulouse France for the first two weeks of June. $824 for 14 nights, $59/night. I'm pretty excited about it. Out with Dora at 11:15. To INSS; she's trying to get a straight story on her medical disability situation, I'm trying to get her to figure out her retirement planning and pension(s). The INSS person was little help on either front. Headache; took a sumatriptan.

To El Corte Ingles to mail a letter, which took forever. To a cafe. Home by 1:30.

Online, spent about 4 hours deciphering the Spanish pension system, to try to figure out what kind of state pension Dora will qualify for eventually. Lots of fun. Up before 8. Out at 8:45 with Dora and niece. To niece's school, where she went in to class, and Dora and I met with her homeroom teacher. I understood about 10% of what was said, but we got a long evaluation of the niece's progress, Dora asked some questions I had prepped her with, etc. Out at 9:30. Seems the niece is not saying much in class, not really participating, is having some other issues.

Dora went home, I went to INSS. Where the ladies had some trouble understanding what this crazy foreigner wanted, but one of them spoke English, and was willing to accept and stamp the four suggestion/complaint forms I had, about deficiences in the pension web site. Home after 10.

Out after noon to buy a couple of groceries and fruits, and roses for Valentine's Day and Dora's mother's birthday.

Online, looking for an apartment for a vacation in Malaga in May, but prices are a bit high.

Out after 5. To Vodafone store, to wait 45 minutes in line and then at counter, for the privilege of paying €20 for a SIM to replace their SIM that died in Dora's son's phone. To Dia for groceries. Out with Dora at 10:15. To notary, to start them doing a "capitulaciones matrimoniales" document, to specify that our money is separate.


Out at 3:30 or so with Dora. To El Corte Ingles to mail letters, send money to Slovakia, do a little shopping. To a cafe in HCC for coffees and pastries. Loafed. Home before 5:30. Out with Dora at 10:15, to notary. Longish wait. Finally got in to see the big guy, he explained the document to us, all looks good, we signed. Out, wait, paid €80. For some reason we can't take it home right now, we'll get a call when we can pick it up. Then we have to figure out how to register it in Jerez. Home by 11:30.

Out to Dia for groceries.

Out after 6 with niece and Dora. To metro, 4 or 5 stops, out, and soon realized I had put us on the wrong metro line, L5 when we should have taken L3. The two stops have similar names, Sant Pau Dos de Maig and Guinardo Hospital Sant Pau. So we had to walk an extra 8 or 10 blocks, to much grumbling from the niece.

Some trouble finding it, but then we found the gymnastics place we're coming to look at. In, and it's smaller than I expected. They're moving to a bigger place in 6 weeks. We watched the class for 5 or 10 minutes, outside for a few minutes, back in and watched for another 5 minutes. Niece more interested than I expected.

Out, and head for the metro, looking for a cafe along the way. No luck, into metro, out at Llucmajor, into a cafe. As usual, niece got grumpy until we'd buy her one more thing on top of what we'd already bought. Home before 8:30. I went right back out to hit an ATM.

The gymnastics thing presents some problems. The gym has only certain time-slots open, and it's slightly far away and about 8 blocks and a turn from any metro station. So to get there right after school, we'd probably have to take a taxi. Could take the metro home afterward. But probably it means Dora and/or I would have to be in town to take her there and back, and we/I want to go on a couple of vacations. And money is a factor: about €60 registration, maybe €40 for a uniform, about €40/month for classes, and probably €100/month for taxis. Out after 11 with Dora. Grey day, moist, but not too cold. Down to F-i-P, into metro, out at Glories, into Encants flea market. Looking for a power cord and some kind of coat-rack, found neither. Wandered down past Agbar building and into mall, sat on nice sofa for a while, wandered. Eventually out, back into metro. To a cafe near F-i-P, and the cheese-ham-olive thing I pointed to and bought turned out to be salmon. Sat for a while.

Home around 2:15. Found power off in the apartment; I think we have a main breaker which shuts off without tripping. Turned it back on. I think the parents and niece have been without power for a couple of hours, not knowing how to fix it.

Online, reserved an apartment (this one) in Palermo Sicily for the first two weeks of May. €500 for 14 nights. Also plane flights, $337 for 2 people roundtrip with 1 big suitcase. The only hassle will be that the flights are early in the morning, 6 AM out of Barcelona, we'll have to get up at 2 AM and take night buses.

In early evening, headache, took a sumatriptan. Up after 10.

Out with Dora at niece around 3. Beautiful, sunny, only slightly cool day. To Virrei Amat plaza, perfect timing for the 82 bus at 3:20, up to Castell Torre Baro. Walked around for a while, enjoying nature and the view. Not many people there, because we're a bit late and the tower itself is closed. Fine with us. Back onto bus at 4:20, down to VAP, into a cafe for a while. Home after 5. Out at 12:15 with Dora. Cold, grey, starting to rain. She went to a medical appt, I went to ferreteria and lampisteria and fruit/veg shop.

Then at 1, lots of confusion, sister in Sanlucar needs mother and me to go to bank to pay a big bill. Lots of trouble getting the details to us, then we go to bank, mother is confused, finally we get it done. Not sure why the sister didn't just pay it directly, Dora's family seems to spend loads of time going to banks in person. Less now that I made Dora get online access to her accounts.

Out in late afternoon for groceries.

Headache before bed; took a paracetamol-plus. Headache; took a sumatriptan. Breakfast, then back to bed for a while.

Out at 11:45 with Dora. Heading for niece's school to pick her up early and take her to a medical appointment. Get 3/4 of the way to school and Dora says she's forgotten to bring the papers. I hustle back home, managing to trip and fall in the building entranceway, pick up the papers, hustle to the medical clinic. No sign of Dora and niece. They show up 15 minutes late, the niece had swimming and couldn't get out on time. They go in to see doctor, they're out 3 minutes later, he says nothing broken in her foot, nothing to be done.

We stop in a playground for a while, then home before 1. Dinner. Out again in late afternoon to Correos in El Corte Ingles.

Online, did most of a Spanish tax form not due for another month.

Thought of going out to a bar to watch Barca play Chelsea, but then found the game on our TV. Barca didn't get many shots, frustrating, ended in 1-1 tie. Windy, somewhat cold day. Received a package of my mail from USA. Had fun playing with the bank security-token that came in it. Out in late afternoon for groceries. Online, submitted that Spanish 720 form. Up at 8, then headache, took a paracetamol-plus and back to bed. Later, still headachey, rubbed my head with a sulphur block, Dora and her mother say this works. I don't think it worked.

Out after noon. To four ferreterias to find a lightbulb. To Dia for groceries.

Out at 2:30 or so with Dora. To F-i-P metro, to Placa Catalunya, into Catalan language institute office to see about Catalan language classes for Dora. The starting date don't match well with our schedule over the next few months: nothing starting right away, they start much closer to the times we've carved out for vacations.

Through the placa, into El Corte Ingles, up to the top for coffees and pastry at a window table looking over the city.

Out, and I want to walk, but Dora wants to go home. I guess she's right, it's getting later and colder. Into metro, out at F-i-P. Up and into Abacus to buy three Catalan-language coursebooks for her, total €35. Weather getting greyer. Home by 5:45. Dora and parents and niece out at 8:15 or so, heading across town to Peruvian consulate to replace lost ID cards. But Dora back at 8:30, looking for a letter she's misplaced. Couldn't find it. Back out. Mother came in to get something, back out.

I started cooking after noon. They came home around 1:15, and I put dinner on the table, they were pleased.

Turns out we're paying for an online law-school for Dora's BIL, as well as his bus-driver-license course. Didn't know about the law-school thing.

Online, got access to Dora's private pension account, something I've been trying to get for a while. Now we have to understand it.

Took apart the rice-cooker with the missing power cord, in hopes of installing a new cord.

Out with Dora at 5:30. To my ATM, took out a bunch of cash. To Dora's ATM, sent €600 of it to BIL in the north. To ferreteria, and the guy cam up with a part that I can use to fix the rice-cooker. Left Dora at the fruit/veg shop, I went to get groceries at Dia.

Home, and managed to attach a new power-cord to the rice-cooker. House didn't blow up when I plugged it in: success !

Dora's sister arrived from Sanlucar around 8:15.

Online, bought plane and bus tickets for Dora's son to come here at end of March. Up at the crack of 10. Out after 1:30 to ECI with Dora and sister and niece, to pay bills.

Out at 2:30 or so with everyone, to a Chinese restaurant on F-i-P for a big meal. Sat upstairs, nice, food was good, but service was erratic. And the niece was feeling bad, maybe because in the last 18 hours she's eaten about half of the huge box of chocolates her mother brought for her. She ate 2 or 3 right before coming out to this dinner. After the meal, they headed off to buy antibiotics and other medicines for her, while the rest of us went various directions. But half an hour after we got home, she seemed okay.

Online, filed my US FBAR form. Niece is in bed sick, taking medicine, being doted on by her mother.

Before noon, out for a couple of hours with Dora. F-i-P metro to Catalunya, strolled down La Rambla. Lots of people, slightly cool sunny day. Got to the Columbus statue and I wanted to walk up through Raval, but Dora had had enough. Back into metro and home by 2:15 or so.

Big turkey-rice-salad-potatoes dinner with 6 of us.

Headachey in mid-evening; took a Neobrufen. Niece home from school this morning, she's a little sick and the school is doing some outing to a yogurt-factory anyway ?

Gave myself a bit of a haircut, with scissors. Can't find the hair-clippers from Jerez. Headache by 1; took a sumatriptan.

Niece not well in afternoon; stayed home from school.

Out at 4:30 with Dora. Cold, grey, raining lightly. Down to Meridiana and to a physiotherapy place. She had an evaluation of her back for €20, and will go for electrotherapy twice per week at €20 per 1-hour session. Headache; took a paracetamol-plus.

Out with Dora at noon. Extra-cold day. To two banks, then photo booth in metro station, then lawyer's office (no answer to the buzzer). Back home after 1.

Tiny little snow-flakes around 1:30, then a bit more substantial coming down at 2.

Dora out after 2:15, to do an awkward trip halfway across town to an office for a 3:30 appointment. She wanted me to go with her, but I stayed home. Starting to snow pretty steadily around 3. Later, alternating between snow and rainy.

Dora home before 6, not as frozen as I expected. But an hour or more later, she was cold and into bed and feeling bad.

Online and talking with Dora, we're starting to figure out her private pension plan. It appears to be a deferred-taxation plan like a 401K or IRA.

Headache; took a sumatriptan. Later joined Dora in bed, napped until 10:30 or so. We made an appointment for the sister to meet with the niece's teacher this morning, and now I find they all agreed to postpone it to next week, for no good reason I can determine. This is stupid; they need as much communication as possible. Apparently niece still is sick, not going to school, but that's no reason the mother can't meet with the teacher.

Cold, wet, grey, rainy morning. Back to bed for a while, to enjoy the warmth. Dora's noon appointment has been postponed, so she's back in bed too.

Around 12:30, niece out with her mother and grandmother, to supermarket. I guess she's well enough to go out in the cold and rain for that, but not well enough to go to school.

I cooked dinner. As usual, niece ate 1/4 of her food and then went to get some snack she likes; today it is popcorn.

Online, started my US income tax return. But started it wrong, selected "married", when we weren't married until this year, not married last year. Cold, grey, rainy morning. Out at 11:30 with Dora, and it's not cold, and not raining. To ATM, then to niece's school to pay tuition. To F-i-P metro, to Clot, long ride to San Antoni. Out and got near medical clinic, stopped in a cafe for coffees and pastries.

Dora into clinic for a 1 PM interview. I sat in waiting room. She was out by 1:45, and they have a couple of types of work contract available to her, in the ER. Mostly night-shift or late-shift, and this place is pretty far from home. But it's encouraging that she has an opportunity.

Into metro, connect, out at F-i-P, into another cafe for drinks and bratwursts. Then to her 3 PM physiotherapy appointment. I dropped her off, got groceries in Dia, home before 3:30. Cool and windy but sunny morning. Out at 10 with Dora, up to local govt office to deal with a 2-year-old tax bill on her former apartment here. No surprise, they said she has to pay it. To a bank and paid it.

Out in midafternoon for a walk and sit in Virrei Amat plaza, but it's too windy and a couple of degrees too cool to be comfortable. To fruit/veg stand for a few things. I cooked dinner. Out at 2:30 with Dora. To F-i-P metro, long ride to Placa Espanya, steep walk up to MNAC art museum. In and it's free this afternoon.

Tons of art, much of which we've seen before. Some new Renaissance and Baroque stuff, mainly painted-wood alterpieces and such. Spectacular building, worth coming just for that, but you can't get far enough away from the domes and columns and such to get a decent photo of them. After resting a couple of times, we did some of the modern art section, then we'd had enough. Pics.

Out of museum a little before 6. Weather a bit cooler and windy. Down to metro, long ride to F-i-P. Wanted to stop in a cafe, but it was full.

To Dia for groceries, and met Dora's father at the entrance. Home after 7; tired. Had tea and ate some cheap sugar-coated croissants we just bought, and they turned out to be cream-filled, yum !

Later headachey, took a paracetamol-plus. Didn't sleep so well from about 5 AM on, and got up with a headache. Took a sumatriptan.

Out after noon for a nice walk over to Maragall. To fruit/veg store for some things. Home at 1:30.

Cooked a big dinner, with help from Dora's mother. Weather getting grey; rain by 3.

Thought of watching the Barca - Atletico game, but it's raining so we don't want to go out, and it's not on TV. Watched 10 minutes of it streaming on the computer, but that's not so convenient. Later saw that Barca won 1-0 on the strength of Messi's 600th career goal. Grey, rainy morning. Niece staying from school yet AGAIN, 4th school-day she's missed out of the 6 school-days her mother has been here.

Moving my web site to a new host today, and it's taking all day.

Sunny in late afternoon. Out for a nice walk, weather a bit cool but otherwise fine.

Finally finished uploading the web site around 10:15. It's big, about 1.65 GB. Niece staying home from school again today; she's a bit sick, and this morning they're going swimming.

Headache in mid-morning; took a Paracetamol-plus.

Out at 11:15 or so, by myself. To F-i-P metro, to Catalunya. Walked down to Placa Angels, but can't find the artistic-dance thing that's supposed to happen there at noon. Into cathedral for 10 minutes, out and back up to the plaza exactly at noon, nothing. Strolled around Placa Catalunya, then wandered down to Urquinaona. Street art: pics. Saw a big chocolate thing in a cafe window and went in and had one, which turned out to be cream-filled, yum. Down to Arc, past Estacio Nord, eventually to Marina metro. To F-i-P, groceries at Dia, home by 1:30 or so.

Headache in early evening; took a sumatriptan.

Out to fruit/veg store for some items.

I've been slowly working my way through a bottle of pacharán, a very nice drink. Nice to have a shot or two in the late evening with a snack. Out before 1 to pick up the niece at school. As usual, she tried to run away from me on the way home, then sulked when I kept up with her, then I went ahead as she lagged behind.

Big dinner.

Out around 4:15 by myself for a long walk, down past Rio Janeiro medical center and back. Grey, cold morning, trying to rain a little. Partial train/Metro strike today. Out after noon to Dia for groceries.

Freaked out a bit: suddenly my laptop said "Windows has disabled your touchpad", and nothing I did made it work again. Rebooted several times, went through control panel and settings etc. Finally Googled on Dora's laptop, and found there's a key on mine that disables the touchpad. Pressed that key, everything is fine again. Whew !

Just read that supposedly Spanish women are on strike today, for Women's Day of Equality, I think.

After moaning about it for a week, I finally paid the building fees for the apartment. They're a year or more in arrears, and I keep saying Dora's sister should get rid of other properties she has, but if we don't want to get more fees and lawyers after us, it's best to pay this. We are living here rent-free, so I guess it's fair. But we're also paying to support 2/3 of the family. Their finances have been a disaster since the 2008 crash. Headache; took a sumatripan.

Out with Dora after 11. To building finca. They haven't received our payment yet, took a copy of our transfer receipt. Gave us elevator keys to get to parking decks, but they know nothing about the beeper for outside door to let cars in.

Traffic lights at big intersection not working again, second time in a few weeks. Lots of police standing around, one directing traffic, a couple of special-police with machine-guns standing around too.

To notary. Surprise: price of document was less than we paid, here's €19 or so refund ! Cover-sheet has me titled as "doña" (female), but that's not part of the actual document, secretary just crossed out the "a" for us. Surprised to see that the official document doesn't have our signatures in it, just the notary's stamps. I guess they file the signature page locally instead of including it in the filing to the registry. Another surprise: they're going to file it in the Barcelona registry, I thought we were going to have to file it in the Jerez registry somehow.

Stopped in church, and there's Dora's mother and sister too.

Headed home, and tried keys in doors. Elevator keys work, we went down to parking decks, not sure if ours is -3 or -4, but no car in our slot on either floor. Up and into apartment before 1.

Out after 5 with Dora. Dragged her down to the lawyer's office, where our timing was good, 5-minute wait and he arrived. We've had no communication for a month, I wanted to force some answers out of him. Turns out Dora misread a request from him, he needs a POA from the sister, we lost money and time by not providing it. But now we can do it, and get things moving again. He still won't provide a receipt for the €1000 we've paid to him, and I have to interrogate Dora closely later to find the terms on which we've hired him. And of course she has none of it in writing. Very sloppy way to do things, and she fights me every step of the way when I try to get her to do things better.

We walk to a nice park, stroll there for a bit, then up to Meridiana and up F-i-P to our favorite coffee-shop, where we relax for a while. Then to Dia and fruit shop, and home by 7:30.

Didn't feel like going to bed until 1 AM, and even then I laid in bed listening to MP3s for a while. Dora's sister left this morning, back to Sanlucar.

The bad news keeps coming: there's probably a couple of years of past-due property tax due on this apartment; will have to find out about that next week.

Out at 3:30 or so with Dora. To ATM, then F-i-P metro. Out at Arc de Triomf. Nice walk down through the park, loads of people, weather sunny and warm. Through the train station and to the edge of Barceloneta, and then we've had enough. Into Barceloneta metro, to Llucmajor, to a cafe. Then Dia for groceries and home by 5:30. Headache; took a sumatripan.

Out at noon for a long walk up F-i-P and to Parc Turo Peira (I think). Gorgeous sunny day, just slightly cool, perfect.

After dinner, around 3, dragged Dora out for a walk up the Nou Barris city hall park. A little windy but still very nice weather.

Headache; took a sumatripan. Out after noon, for a nice walk, then to Dia for groceries.

Out in late afternoon, but it's windy and a bit cooler. To fruit/veg shop for a few items.

Headache in the evening; took a paracetamol-plus. Weather cold, grey, hint of rain. Workmen arrived at 9:30 to install reinforcing braces on the balcony railings. They finished around 11:30.

Out at 2:45 with Dora, walked her to physiotherapy, then I went for a walk. A little cool and breezy, but nice sun.

Online, submitted my US federal and state income tax returns. Dora out early to a medical appointment.

Out before noon with Dora. To ATM to get cash, stopped at mercado to ask about raw pizza-dough, to another ATM to put the cash in, went for a walk, to fruit shop, home. Then online, sending the money to the north to pay for BIL's commercial-driver school.

Soon I was out for another walk, and to sit in VA plaza for a while.

Dinner. Dora out to go to CUAP for job appointment. Soon I went out for another small walk and sit in VA plaza. Out at 10 with Dora, up to govt complex, to find out about the past-due taxes on this apartment (owned by her sister). Had to wait a while, then in. Guy handed us one bill that wasn't too bad, less than €800, but it turned out that was just this coming year's bill. Handed us another €2000 of past-due bills (and interest and penalties) that the sister hadn't paid. Great.

Home, and then Dora back out, to dentist.

Dinner. At 2:45, Dora out to physiotherapy. Soon I went out to sit in VA plaza, then to Dia for groceries. At 5, out for another little walk and sit in the plaza.

More bad news: Dora's sister needs €5K to pay to bank to stave off foreclosure and maybe eviction. I thought having her daughter and parents living here would stop that. I guess we need to hold off paying the tax bill until we get some clarity on the situation. Out at noon with Dora, to mail a letter. Mostly an excuse to get out of the apartment and do a little walking. Glorious sunny day. Mailed letter, walked, to fruit/veg shop for stuff.


Out for a couple of walks, to VA plaza, to Dia for garbage bags. Weather getting colder. I went out at 11 or so. To L5 metro, connect, out at Valcarca. Long climb up to Park Guell, worked up a sweat. Wandered around the high parts of the park, sat for a while and enjoyed the views. Eventually across into Parc Carmel, down, down, down to El Carmel metro. Out at Virrei Amat, to Dia for groceries, home by 2 or so. Only Dora home. We cooked dinner, and the others came home around 2:20.

Wanted to go out tonight, to center to some Irish bars for St Patrick's Day. But it's cold, grey and damp out. Raining by 6:30 or so. Sunny but fairly cold day. Big dinner in midafternoon. At 4:15, TV did usual thing with Barca game: decoy you into thinking they will show the game, then right at kickoff switch away to studio commentary instead. So Dora and I went out to watch it in a bar. Bar up on Molist is closed, went to a small bar close to home, watched 2/3 of first half and had coffees. Barca up 2-0. Strolled around the neighborhood, then home. Out for a couple of hours with Dora, first to one bank, then another. Paid the outstanding balance on her credit-card, which was charging 28% interest. Talked to my friend in the ferreteria; he's moving out and getting a job with a plumbing-supply company or something, running a business himself was too much hassle and expense. In second bank, bad news, Dora got talked into signing up for a savings plan and and insurance plan a few months ago, and turns out the insurance can't be cancelled until end of the first year, waste of money. To Dia for groceries while Dora bought fruit at the fruit/veg shop.

Later, out for a little walk and sit in the plaza. Pleasant for 20 minutes, then clouds came over and a little windy, and suddenly it's 10 degrees colder. To Dia for a couple more items, and home.

Later, getting colder and greyer.

Headache at 9; took a paracetamol-plus. Cold morning. Headache; took a sumatriptan. Surprised to see Dora up and out at 9:30; turns out she has a dentist appt and then a hairdressing appt that she didn't tell me about.

Dora home by noon, with straight-straight-straight hair, the way she likes it: pic. It will start to be kinky and curly again in several days.

Out with Dora at 12:35. Cold today. Up to government complex to give our fingerprints for a free-entry-at-parks program. Took a long time and a lot of typing, which surprised me, since I typed all of our info into a web site for this a few days ago. Turns out Dora got registered for it a couple of years ago, but never gave her fingerprint, which confused everything. But finally we succeeded, and went back home.

Out at 2:30 to stroll and sit in the plaza and look into a couple of stores. Out at 4:30 to do the same again.

Home, and started making a pizza, using pre-made dough from supermarket. First time using the oven here. We have no garlic. Put it together, it baked about twice as fast as I expected. Came out toasted thin-crust, edible but not great. We ate it. Cold morning. Headache; took a sumatriptan. Dora out after 7, to work an 8-3 shift at Emergency as a prelude to working there full-time next month.

Dora wanted me to go to medical center with her father for 10:30 appointment, but he never came from taking niece to school at 9. So after 10 I went to medical clinic, found him at 10:15. He'd already had his blood test, showed me a new appointment for 11:30 to have a tooth extracted. I was debating whether to go home and come back later. But then the doctor's door opened and they took him in, and he was back out in 10 minutes, minus a tooth.

To Correos with him, waited 5+ minutes, then received a big lump of cash sent to the father from Peru. We stopped at a shop to buy meat, then home by 11:15 or so. Relieved that everything went so smoothly.

Dinner. Out around 2:30 to sit in plaza, but it's cold. To Dia for groceries.

Dora home around 4, all went well for her trial-day at work, she'll be starting in April.

Out at 7:30, to fruit/veg shop. Cold. Headache before dawn; took a Neobrufen. Still headache at 8:30; took a sumatriptan. Slept late. Still mostly headache.

Out a couple of times in the afternoon to stroll and sit in the plaza and hit a couple of stores. A little cool, but nice if sitting in the direct sun. Out again after 4:30, but now it's starting to get too cold.

I supervised while the niece made a pizza. Came out fairly well, for one featuring hotdogs. Out after noon for a brief sit in the plaza. Out again at 2:30 or so. Out with Dora at 5 to deliver sister's POA to lawyer's office. Just a couple of degrees too cool all day to be comfortable. Grey, raining, and I assume cool out. Blech. Then raining hard and steady from 10 to 5 at least.

Out at 4 to Dia for groceries, and then right back out again to the fruit/veg shop. Raining and cold.

Wanted to go to an anti-gun demonstration in Placa Catalunya at 5, but I'm not going in this weather. Grey, probably cold morning, damp but not quite raining.

I went out around 11. Not too cold. To F-i-P Metro, and in the turnstile a couple of guys tried to come through behind me, cheating the fare. But I stopped just as I passed through the gate, and the first guy and I had a bit of a shouting and pushing match. He kicked me weakly in the thigh, then his friends pulled him back and they started leaving. He came back to shout at me, and I shouted back, and then they were gone and I went down and caught my train.

To Placa Catalunya, and out. Flocks of tourists everywhere. Guys in tents around the placa, protesting the central govt denial of independence for Catalunya, but they're looking a bit worn and wet. I wandered down La Rambla, and soon found a religious procession with a platform and band going down one of the side streets. The platform wasn't much, but the band was nice, I listened to them for a while. Then down to Placa Pi, where there were gegantes and other statue-type things: pic. Wandered through the cathedral plaza and Placa Jaume and then Placa Reial. Street art: pics. Back to La Rambla, and the same platform was coming down as I was going up. Strolled up La Rambla, into PC metro, out at F-i-P. Light rain. Home after 1.

Out at 5:30 with Dora for a walk. Pleasant but chilly.

Made a pizza, and the niece was eager to do it until she saw the toppings I had readied (mushrooms and chorizo). Then she refused to have anything to do with it, other than eating a slice. Fine with me. Out before noon. Lovely sunny cool day. To ATM, then to ferreteria where the guy did a reasonable repair on the wheel of our shopping-cart. Out again. To Correos counter in El Corte Ingles, but they can't accept payment of our water bill because the form I have does not have a bar-code on it. Looked at coffee-making equipment in ECI. To Dia for groceries.

TV news has been showing some riots in the center of Barcelona, last night, I think. People fighting with police. Several leaders of the pro-independence movement were put in prison a couple of days ago, and the top guy detained in Germany, another fled.

Out after dinner to sit in VA plaza. Pretty quiet; this is a holiday week.

Weather turning ugly after 6 or so. Out at 7:20 with Dora, into rain. To Virrei Amat, L5 metro to Diagonal, raining hard, but across one big street and into a church. We're here for a concert by a group from MIT.

Turns out to be mostly choral music, not my favorite, but still it was nice. A full house, too. And a nice church; we've been here before. Pic.

Out after the concert, and we just want to go home. Not raining. Into metro, out at VA, home by 9:40 or so. Dora out early to a couple of govt offices. I went out at noon to Dia for groceries; a little cold out.

I went out after 3. Lovely day out, just slightly cool. Went for a longish walk down into Sant Andreu, one goal being to find a restaurant we went to a while ago. Found it, wandered, got some decent exercise, stopped in a couple of stores, home by 4:30 or so.

Headache in late evening; took a sumatripan and went to bed early. I think I've been using the computer too much.

Dora's son arrived after midnight, from Slovakia. Dora out early again, to a govt office. I slept late.

Out at 11:30 to go sit in the plaza for a while. Lovely weather.

Out at 1:30 or so, all six of us, to a Peruvian restaurant. Nice meal, better than our previous time here. Had the whole upstairs room to ourselves. Pics. Gorgeous weather outside. Home by 3:15.

Out later to stroll and sit in the plaza, then to Dia for groceries.

Napped, headache, took a paracetamol-plus.

Out for a walk and sit in the plaza with Dora, and to fruit shop. Lots of car-traffic as people leave town for the holiday.

Headache in late evening; took a sumatripan and went to bed a little early. Out for a nice longish walk with Dora before noon. Lovely sunny warmish day.

Out at 3:30 or so to walk and sit. Getting a little cooler. Out again later. Dora's son has connected the TV to the Wi-Fi, so now they all can veg out in front of the TV even more. Of course, I spend too much time on the computer, so I'm not one to talk.

Out at 11 or so for a walk. Gorgeous warmish sunny day. Dora intercepted me at VA plaza and we went for a walk around Cotxeres / Maragall. To fruit shop and home before noon.

Out around 3 with Dora. To VA metro, longish ride to Entenca, out and into a decommissioned prison that just opened to the public as a museum. Turns out this place was an active prison just last year; it's freshly closed. Dora was a bit weirded out by the place. Interesting but not great, and it didn't take long to see it. Pics.

Out, back into metro, connect at Sants Estacio, out at Liceu in the middle of La Rambla. Hordes of people. Down a side street, and browsed briefly in several shops. Street art: pic. Joked that we'd buy this as niece's First Communion dress: pic. Came out at Placa Jaume, but nothing happening there. To cathedral, line to get in didn't move so we gave up. Hordes of people in the cathedral plaza. Down to Jaume I metro, in, long ride to Llucmajor. Into a cafe for a while. Home by 6. Out a couple of times for walks, but it's windy and cool and blowing lots of seeds and pollen, not comfortable. Dora out before 10, to work an 11-11 shift at Emergency at CUAP in San Antoni.

I went out at 10:20. To F-i-P metro, to Placa Catalunya, and hooked up with a hiking group at Cafe Zurich. Waited and chatted, bought a bottle of water. Then we were all onto a train, and out to Peu de Funicular. Off the train, to base of funicular, onto funicular car. Which went up, stopped at halfway station, then to top station. Where the doors opened and closed so quickly that only a few people made it off, the rest of us were stuck aboard and it went back down. We got off at halfway station, had to wait 5 minutes, eventually got on another car and up to top.

Hiked over the foothills and through woods. Good exercise, some stiff climbs, enjoyed chatting with a couple of people, mainly with an Indian woman. Got warm; took off my coat. No good photo opportunities, just lots of trees and trails.

Eventually out to La Floresta, and to train station. Some people stayed to eat, but several of us paid the €5 fee to the leader and grabbed the next train back to Placa Catalunya. Out, said good-bye, and I went and sat on a chair on La Rambla for a bit, resting and eating an apple. Had some water, strolled down past the cathedral, nothing much happening. Into Jaume I metro, ride to Llucmajor, home by 4. Shower, food, rest.

Out later for a walk.

Headache in late evening; took a sumatripan.

Dora home at 11:45. Out after noon for a walk and sit in the plaza. Slightly cool today. Legs still aching from yesterday's hike. Headache; took a sumatriptan.

Out at 11. To niece's school and paid a month's tuition (€132). To Dia for groceries.

Out with Dora at 12, up to govt complex for an appointment.

Dora out at 2, to work 3-11. I went out for a couple of short walks in the afternoon. Out after noon, to sit in plaza and then to Dia for groceries. Dora's son left at 1:45 or so, to go back to medical school in Slovakia. Out before 5, then again when Dora went to work a 7-1 shift. Quiet evening. To bed at 1, Dora home just before 2. Out after noon, to sit in plaza and then go to fruit/veg shop. Out again to walk Dora to metro to work 3-11, then walk and sit, then Dia for groceries. In the evening, made a pizza with the niece. Dora home at midnight. I cooked dinner for everyone: chicken, rice, veggies. Walked Dora to metro after 2, bought a coffee-percolator, sat in the plaza for a while. Out again at 4:30 to sit and walk and get groceries at Dia.

In the evening, somewhat-long walk down to Meridiana and Garcilaso to check out a free concert-tournament thing. But I hadn't been able to find out the starting time, and I got there at 8 to find it started at 9. Didn't feel like waiting. Headed home, stopping at the fruit/veg shop on the way.

Dora home at midnight. Headache; took a sumatriptan.

In the afternoon, Dora and I home alone, so I cooked dinner for 5. We started eating. Dora's father came home, apparently he accidentally took a bus all the way to the airport. He ate. Dora's mother and niece came home, but they ate at McDonald's.

Out with Dora for a nice walk. Grey and cool and trying to rain a little.

Out with Dora after 8:30, to local sports-bar to watch Barca play Leganes. Fairly boring game but a pleasant enough bar, Barca up 2-0 at the half. Home. Grey morning. Raining hard by 9:30, and again at 10:30. Found out a Spanish class I was trying to sign up for is not going to happen; they have only 3 students and need 1 more. Big dinner at 2 or so. Out for a long walk at 4; grey but not raining. Out again at 6 with Dora; cool, windy, grey and threatening rain, but we had a good walk, then niece playing in the plaza while Dora's father and I minded her. Lovely sunny day, cool in the morning and warm in the afternoon. Walked Dora to metro at 2 so she can work 3-11. To El Corte Ingles to order an expensive medical book for her. Sat in the plaza for a while. Out again at 4:30 to sit in plaza and then get groceries at Dia. Dora home before midnight. Sunny in morning and midday; went to the plaza a couple of times, and to Dia. Grey and cooler later. Dora not working today. Opened all the boxes we moved from Jerez, and definitely we are missing several things, or maybe a whole box of things. Either they fell off the truck in the move, or there's a leftover suitcase or something in Sanlucar. In the evening, out with Dora for a longish walk, look in several stores, coffees in a cafe, under threatening grey skies.

I think it rained all night, maybe starting at 11 or so. Grey and raining. Stopped raining by 11:30 or so. Out after noon; cool, grey, damp, threatening rain. Walked, and to Dia for groceries, and to phone shop to buy a USB flash drive. Dinner. Out again at 2:45 to sit and walk, but it's a little cool and windy for comfort. To fruit/veg shop.

Walked Dora to metro at 6, to work a 7-1 shift. Too cold to stay walking or sitting much; went home.

Dora home at 2:25 AM. She had an ugly trip home. Out of work after 1, just missed a bus, had to wait nearly half an hour. Then a kilometer or two from home, the bus hit a garbage truck of some kind. She caught a taxi most of the rest of the way. I'm up at 10; Dora sleeping. Out at 11:30 to buy printer cartridges, and then birthday cake and candles etc for niece's birthday. Out again to sit in plaza; beautiful weather. Niece home from school around 1:15, we had ribs and rice for dinner, then birthday cakes with candles etc. Out at 2:30 to sit in plaza and then stop at fruit/veg shop. Out at 8 for a longish walk; getting cold out. Cool, grey morning. Out at 11:45 to Mercadona to buy cake etc. Dora out at noon, I think, to Peruvian consulate. A workman showed up unexpectedly to paint the new brackkets on the balcony railings. Raining at 12:45. Dora home at 1:25, just in time for dinner. Had a little celebration for Dora's father's 86th birthday.

Out around 6 with Dora and niece. Not as cold out as I expected. Up to Llucmajor metro, to Girona station. Out and 3 long blocks to an ice-skating rink. €23 to outfit the niece and get us all in. Then it was fun to watch her and encourage her, and see her slowly get more confident and enjoy it. By the end she was saying she wanted to come back tomorrow, wanted to invite a couple of her friends to come with her, etc.

To metro, to Llucmajor, stopped at a bakery, then into a cafe for some food. Home by 9:30. Grey morning. Headache; took a sumatriptan. Back to bed. Dora out at 10, to work 11-11. Raining hard by noon.

Rain stopped around 3. Out a couple of times for groceries, then out in evening to walk and sit.

Dora home before midnight. Headache; took a paracetamol-plus, and later a Neobrufen. Dora out at 10 to work 11-11.

I went out after 1. Into L5 metro, connect at Diagonal, heading down to Paral.lel to see a big demonstration, I assume in favor of Catalan independence. But as we neared Drassanes, the driver made an announcement that I think said "this train isn't going to stop at Paral.lel". So I got off, and soon found loads of people strolling down from Avenida Paral.lel, many carrying flags or banner and wearing yellow shirts. Watched for a while, but nothing interesting happening. Wandered with the crowds, down to the harbor, then up La Rambla. Sat for a while, into Placa Catalunya, eventually into metro and out at F-i-P. Picked up a felafel pita at a place and sat on a bench and ate it. Home by 4:30.

Out at 7 or so to walk and sit. Lots of people out everywhere. Weather slightly cool but quite nice.

Dora home before midnight. Headache; took a paracetamol-plus. Dora up at 8:20, thinking she had to go meet niece's teacher, but then found out the meeting is some other day, back to bed. Later, I found out that the free symphony concert tonight that I got tickets to has been canceled; the orchestra is coming from USA and I think a big storm there has cancelled a lot of flights.

Out at noon to go to ferreteria and then Dia for groceries. After dinner, out for a nice walk with Dora, getting sprinkled with rain a little (but we had umbrellas). To fruit shop.

Headache again in the evening; took a Neobrufen, but that didn't get rid of it. Out at 7 or so with Dora. To ATM, to ferreteria to buy a shopping-trolley (€61.50), to clothing store for a sweater, to HCC and a shoe store. Home after 8. Still headachey; took a paracetamol-plus. Headache; took a sumatriptan. Slept slightly late. At 11:30, out to El Corte Ingles to pick up medical book for Dora. Gorgeous sunny warm weather. Out at 12:30, to go to ferreteria, and then sit in plaza for a while. Out several times in afternoon and early evening, to walk and sit. Dora home before midnight. Up at 8. Another gorgeous day outside. Niece is sick, apparently, she didn't go to catechism last night and isn't going to school today. Dora and I will be taking her mother to medical appointments.

Out at 9:15 or so with Dora and her mother. Walked down to Janeiro medical clinic, waited a bit, in on time for her 9:56 appointment. Out of that, downstairs to administration, came out with a pile of prescriptions. Took a few minutes to find a taxi, then over to CAP Chafarina medical center for another appointment. Big cheap-clothes fair going on right next to the clinic, so after the appointment we went there. Dora and I went over to a farmacia and bought about 5 boxes of various medicines for grand total of €12 (old poor people get a steep discount on prescriptions). Caught the 132 bus and home by noon.

Out for a walk and sit in the plaza; strong sun. Online, Dora sent €360 for more of BIL's commercial-driving school. Out again at 6 to walk Dora to metro to go work 7-1, and I walked and sat in the plaza. Out a couple more times in the evening; lovely weather.

Dora home at 2. Out to farmacia with Dora to buy inhaler for her mother. Out after noon for a quick trip to grocery stores. Dinner. Dora off to work 3-11. I went out a couple of times to walk and sit and listen to my MP3 players.

Online, signed up for an account at GDAX to do trading of crypto-currency.

Dora home at 11:45. Dora not feeling well this morning, headache and an infection.

Out around noon with Dora. To building manager (finca) office to find out how much the current bill is.

Then Dora says she doesn't want to go home, she wants to go to work (almost 2 hours early). Instead we walk down to our favorite cafe and she has a coffee and sandwich and I have a pastry. We relax and talk and read a newspaper. She's upset about frictions of living 5 people in one apartment, and some small recurrent arguments with her mother and niece. She'd like to own an apartment again, but I'm not going to do that, I don't want to be stuck in one place, and good apartments here are pricey. I also don't want the two of us to move to a separate apartment, at least until we find out what's going to happen with this apartment, the bank might kick us out. I go home and grab medicines and bring them back to Dora. Finally after 2 we walk down to the metro and she goes off to work 3-11.

I head home, soon eating dinner. The niece announces that she can't see the writing in school, she needs eyeglasses.

Out in late afternoon, to sit in plaza. Home, then out at 6 with niece and Dora's mother. Led them to an eyeglass place nearby, then things were confusing. Figured out later that the niece said she hit her head earlier in the week, so the ladies said we should take her to the hospital to be examined. We didn't want to do that (I didn't know about the head-hitting at that point, and she looks fine). Then a lady took her in and did the usual eye exams and apparently found nothing wrong (I can't understand what Dora's mother says about the results). So we'll have Dora come back here tomorrow when she's off work. Home.

Out to walk and sit a couple of times in the evening.

Dora home just before midnight. Slept late. When Dora emerged at 10:30 or so, we started trying to find out the situation on niece's eyesight. Apparently niece is saying she bumped her head on Tuesday, but not a big fall or anything. Says her eyesight was okay before then, which we don't believe. Apparently the optometrist last night found no acute condition, says she "probably" needs eyeglasses. Niece says her sight is bad both near and far.

Suddenly Dora wants to dash out at 11:30 or so. I take a quick shower and follow them. Find them in a different optician on P Molist. I wait on a bench outside, while Dora dn mother and niece are inside. Niece having great fun trying on many eyeglass frames, looking in mirror at various angles. I supply €120 when the time comes. Finally we're out, and I find out the glasses won't be available until Wednesday or so.

Briefly up to the govt square, to an eco-feria. But it's hot and we're hungry, so soon we leave. Retrace steps, buy a couple of roast chickens at the Peruvian place, home by 1:30.

I went out again around 3. Up to the feria, which was about as I expected: not so exciting. Down to VA plaza and sat for a bit, then headed home, but diverted to Dia for a big load of groceries.

Out at 9:15 with Dora, to a bar to watch the Copa del Rey final, Barca vs Sevilla. Lovely gane for Barca, they dominated, 3-0 at halftime. We left the bar, and Dora wanted to do some running ! So I went along, although I'm too old for this nonsense, and I'd just had a beer. We ran and walked down near heron City and around and home. Found the game on broadcast TV, so watched the rest of it. 5-0 Barca, and Iniesta had a goal in his last game, he's retiring. Headache; took a paracetamol-plus, soon went back to bed, slept late. Out after dinner to buy flowers for the ladies; tomorrow is Sant Jordi's Day. Out again to sit in plaza and walk, but I'm drowsy. Home and napped. Out again in early evening. Out again, with Dora, around 9, and she did some running while I just walked fast. Out to Dia and fruit shop for food. Beautiful weather.

Out after 2 with Dora. To F-i-P metro, connect at Clot, out at San Antoni. Stopped for a quick coffee for Dora, then walked her close to work and said good-bye. She went on to work 3-11, I started strolling through town.

Over to Rambla Raval and sat for a while, in a big Sant Jordi Day fair. Not very interesting, lots of booths selling roses and books and jewelry and such, but some seriously-beautiful women. Eventually wandered over across La Rambla, which was full of people. Over to City Hall, where they're having tours today, but the line is too long. To cathedral square, again loads of people but not much of interest.

Eventually down to Jaume I metro, long ride to Llucmajor. Got out, and there's the most interesting thing of the day: a big dragon statue next to some kind of booth on the street. Pics. To Dia for supplies. Home before 5.

Out at 8 or so for sit and walk. Loads of people out, because it's the holiday.

On WhatsApp, strange messages from Dora, as if cross-linked from her BIL in the north to her. Sounds like he needs another €310 pronto; we sent €360 for his commercial-driving school just 5 days ago. But how are these messages showing up on my WhatsApp feed from Dora ?

Dora home before midnight. Out after noon with Dora to send €310 to BIL, and in fruitless attempt to get a quote on a second lock for the apartment front door. Out at 2:30 for a walk and sit in the plaza. After 4, out to Correos in ECI to pay the water bill (€146.97), then went to sit in the plaza, then to Dia for groceries. Out with Dora after 5 to go to a finca place, then to Hipercor, then to shop in Humana, then to cafe for coffees and pastries, then shop in Punt Roma. Out after 9 by myself; lovely evening. Home, and niece has her new eyeglasses. Out a couple of times in early afternoon, to sit in plaza. Lovely weather. Walked Dora to the metro at 6, stopping at Punt Roma so she could buy a too-expensive jacket. She's off to work 7-1. I went home. Back out at 9:30 or so to sit in the plaza and walk. Nice evening. Dora home at 1:45. I cooked dinner for everyone, but after the niece came home from school she had some screaming-fight with Dora, so dinner was a disjointed affair and I don't think the niece ate much.

Out at 2:30 to sit in plaza and walk a bit. Came home, and there was a notice in our mailbox about the gas utility. Gave it to Dora, she called, and found that our gas has been turned off. Her sister never changed the name on the account as she said she had, and now it might take us 2 weeks to get the gas back on. I check our gas, and it's off. Wonderful.

After 4, I drag Dora out to try to find the office of the gas technician. She says it's futile, it's just a contractor, and she's probably right, but I have some questions. We walk out into Maragall, and try to find the office, but it's very confusing, several streets with similar names, finally people tell us the street we want still is far, we give up. Into a bakery and have coffees and pastries. And Dora tells me she hasn't been paying the electric bill either, it's still in the name of the previous renters. Wonderful. Home after 6:15, hot and tired and frustrated.

Dora gets on the phone about the electricity, and finds out how much we owe and changes the name on it, apparently. So we shouldn't lose our electricity unexpectedly.

Out at 9:30 or so for a sit in the plaza and walk. A little cool, quite nice evening.

Feeling stressed-out by the utility-bill problems. Gas still out. Quick, half-cold shower. Getting some warm water from the rooftop solar panels.

Out after noon. To ferreteria to look at door-locks, to plaza to sit for a while, to Dia for groceries. Coming home, there's an ambulance at the corner of our building, some accident between a motorcycle and a small truck, guy from motorcycle on a back-board on the sidewalk.

Out at 6:30 or so with Dora, for a longish walk. A fire in some store a couple of blocks away; we could smell the smoke at our apartment. Stopped in a ferreteria and then BonPreu. Out by myself for another walk later, cool evening. Offered to take Dora to a cafe or bar/dancing, but she wasn't interested. Headache at dawn; took a paracetamol-plus. Dora out after 10, to work an 11-11 shift. I went out for several walks in the afternoon, bought some fruit, and after 6 up Via Julia to a free concert (which turned out to be okay, not great, 20-piece orchestra playing pop music). Dora home at 11:50. Grey, rainy morning. Headache at 8; took a paracetamol-plus. Dora out after 10, to work an 11-11 shift. Gas still out, but shower warm enough to be comfortable. During the day, out for walks whenever it was sunny, between periods of rain. Getting chilly in the evening. Dora home before midnight. Up early and out with Dora. Beautiful sunny slightly-morning. Metro to Universitat and to medical building. In and up and Dora went in to see the official. Soon out, and she says we wasted a trip, they need to see her paper title, we have to go home and get it and come back.

So metro back to F-i-P, we go to Dora's 10:30 dental appointment, I duck out and hit an ATM, and confirm that niece's school is closed today, I can't pay the tuition. Wait for Dora, out of dentist, to cafe for coffee and snacks. I give Dora money for the tuition and for the jacket she bought.

Head home, but I duck into Dia and fruit shop while Dora goes straight home. I arrive home at 11:30 as she's leaving to meet her mother in a bank and then go back to the medical office. Soon I realize I have a blank form they gave to Dora, so I go to bank to try to give it to her, but she's not there. Back home.

At dinner, Dora had a filling come out, so she has to go back to dentist at 4. Weather greyer outside, so my shower was barely lukewarm.

Walked Dora to dentist, then went to sit in plaza and walk. Cool and windy.

Dora home, and good news, it wasn't a filling, they had to rewire her braces. She made a phone call, bad news on the gas. It will be off for a couple of months, it looks like. Well, I'm going to be out of town 4 weeks of the next 7 or so. Thunder at 6:15 AM; sent Dora out to get the laundry in. Rain started at 6:30. Headache; took a paracetamol-plus. Rained until 10 or so, then weather remained grey and wet. Stayed in bed until 11.

I'm leaving for vacation after midnight tonight, so of course Windows is doing a huge upgrade on our laptops overnight and today, and also my phone has decided to die somehow.

Sunny in the afternoon. Out for a longish walk with Dora. Out again to buy a metro card and sit in plaza, but then clouds set in and light rain started. Went home, soon pouring rain.

Couldn't get my Samsung phone working, it's dead. Moved SIM to a spare Doogee phone that Dora had; getting that set up and everything installed and running.

Cold evening.

Watching Real Madrid play Bayern Munich on TV, and it's a heck of a game.



Trip to Palermo, Sicily:
Still can't get photos out of phone. Drowsy from not getting much sleep last night. Dinner with the family. Online, bought train tickets to go to Toulouse France first two weeks of June.

Long nap. Then managed to get my phone's SMS working, so I can log in to my cryptocurrency account. Placed an order for BCH at $1250, about $30 below current market price. Will wait to see if price drops and order executes.

Walked Dora to metro at 6, to work a 7-1 shift. Sat in VA plaza for a little while, then to fruit/veg store.

Found my right shoe is coming apart, glued it.

Out at 8 or so to hit ATM, buy lightbulbs, to Dia for a lot of groceries. Replaced lightbulbs in Dora's father's room.

Finally got the remaining Palermo photos out of my phone. Still don't understand why it fails most of the time.

To bed at 11. Dora home at 1:50. Did some yoga, first time in a while. Gathering documents for a big cita tomorrow. At noon, call from school, the niece has fallen down and hurt herself a bit.

Dora and I out at 12:30 to go to local govt office to get a padron. We walk in and there are huge lines, but not for the machine we need. And then no wait at the actual officials; we go right in and get the document I need, then Dora asks for 4 more that she maybe sort of needs. We go home, and find out they gave her documents for her mother (also Dora), not for her. But my documents are okay.

Dinner for 3 of us, then niece arrives home, seems mostly okay. But then Dora says she has to go to clinic this afternoon, maybe to get an x-ray.

Dora off after 2, to work a 3-11 shift.

After 2:30, niece and Dora's mother and I went to the clinic. Long wait, maybe almost an hour, with one false alarm, they went in and came out almost immediately. Finally they were in, out again 15 minutes later, apparently no x-ray and no prescription, just go home and rest. I'm not sure. Home after 4:30.

My cryptocurrency buy order executed, so I'm the unproud owner of some Bitcoin Cash.

Out at 5 to Dia for a big load of groceries. Big concert starting up in the plaza across the street, but it's all old people. Made a pizza with the niece. Out at 8:30 for a walk and sit in the plaza; cool, grey evening. Back home, and glued my shoe again. Niece in pain from her back. Dora home before midnight. Niece still in pain, staying home from school.

Out with Dora after noon. To F-i-P metro, two stops to Navas, none of the streets match my map, but quickly found the govt office at Murcia 42. In, and no wait for our 12:30 cita. Sat down in front of an official to apply for Tarjeta Comunitaria. Handed over ID cards, passport, Libro de Familia, copy of all pages of passport. He didn't ask for other things I expected, such as proof of medical insurance or proof that Dora is "alta" on Social Security. But one problem: we need to provide a marriage certificate (which we don't have) instead of the Libro de Familia, to prove our marriage. Out in 10 minutes, and I have to get that certificate.

To a Chinese restaurant for a nice, slow lunch. Turns out the sister in the north is having money problems, so I have to fix an emergency up there.

And I said to Dora, the apartment here will be crowded in a week or so, when two more people (her son and sister) are added to our usual five (Dora and me, her parents, and her niece) for the occasion of the niece's First Communion. She said: that's not all, four more people (other sister and family) are coming from the north too ! We'll have eleven in the apartment for two days. I don't see how we'll fit.

To Metro after 2, and Dora went one way to work, I went other way. To a shop to buy more superglue, then to Dia for several items. Home by 2:45.

Out at 8 or so. Sat in plaza, to Caprabo for groceries, to fruit/veg shop.

Dora says she can go to France with me. So online I bought another train ticket, but it came out with my name on it, not hers. Hope I can fix it.

Looked into an AirBNB for the one night we'll have eleven people. But then figured we can move some stuff onto the balcony to make sleeping-space for all 11 of us. Of course, we still don't have gas for hot water.

Dora home before midnight. Dora slept late, then watched the royal wedding on TV. Dinner. Out with Dora before 3, to local train station, but they said to deal with the tickets we have to go to the main office, fairly far away. Stopped in a store and then home by 3:15.

Out at 7:30 or so, with Dora. And to my surprise her niece wanted to come with us; she usually doesn't want to go out. Tonight is the "night of the museums", but mainly I just want to go out. But first we have to go to the main train station to see about the tickets to France.

To Virrei Amat metro, long ride to Sants Estacio. Wait 5 minutes to get to counter, they think the tickets are okay, but send us to a second counter, which sends us to an office. There they confirm everything is okay, and in fact print boarding passes for us. The tickets don't carry names, so I don't know why I had to type passenger name into the web site.

To a cafe in the station, for coffee/soda/snacks.

Long walk under the station to L3 metro, and to Drassanes. Out, and to the Maritime museum. Disappointed to find no band playing outside, but when we got deep inside, we found an orchestra playing. Listened for a few minutes, but it was too hot. Up stairs and looked over a huge old ship, then back down and out into the cooler air. But it's a warm, still evening.

Strolled up La Rambla. Bought an aerial light-trinket thing for the niece. Into Placa Reial and sat there for a while. Lots of people everywhere. Up to Placa Jaume, nothing happening there. To the cathedral square, hoping to go into the Diocesan museum, but there's a long unmoving line. Sat in the square for a while.

Down along the city wall, and stopped for ice cream. To the metro, bathroom stop in a cafe, then into metro and long ride to Llucmajor.

Out, and heard music. Went up to the govt plaza, and there's a small nightclub-type band playing, various food booths, etc. Strolled through and headed down towards home.

Home after 11:30. Dora's mother is sick, so I cooked dinner for everyone (ribs, spaghetti/pesto, zucchini/broccoli).

Out for a walk and sit in the plaza; lovely sunny afternoon. Then out at 8:30 with Dora, to a local bar to watch first half of Barca game. Pretty boring, Messi wasn't playing, 0-0.

Home, watched a little TV, then poured myself a drink and started doing my Spanish Wealth Tax return. A holiday. No school for niece. Dinner. Online, finished my Spanish Wealth Tax return and filed it. Out for a walk and sit. Later out for a walk with Dora, but she's not feeling 100%. Back home, online, started doing my Spanish Income Tax return. Out for another walk and sit. Headache, took a paracetamol-plus. To bed a little early. In the middle of the night, still headachey, took a Neobrufen. Dora out at 8:30 to go to some office. I was up for a while, then back to bed for a while, tired.

Dora didn't come home for dinner after 1. Not answering my messages on WhatsApp. By 2:15, I assume she's going straight to work.

Out at 2:45 for ATM, sit in plaza, to Dia for groceries. Home at 3:30, and Dora's there. I was wrong, she doesn't have to work today, she went to a class this morning.

I'm starting to get a sore throat, maybe the same thing Dora has had for about 4 days now.

Out in late evening with Dora and niece, to the plaza across the street, to use this toy we bought on La Rambla the other night. You shoot a lighted thing up into the air and it comes down spinning. We weren't able to shoot it as high as the guys selling them do; I wonder if they cheat and use a different rubber band ? And it started breaking a little after 5 minutes. But we had fun, and back home I repaired it with some tape, we'll do it again some other night.

Sore throat bothering me after midnight; took a Dolocatil. Sore throat, a bit tired. Out to sit and walk, then Dia for groceries. Napped after dinner. Out for another walk, and to fruit/veg shop. Headache; took a paracetamol-plus. Dora out at 6 to work 7-1, not feeling well.

Online, more work on my Spanish income tax return. Got through the international double-taxation section, which I don't really understand at all. Came out with a reasonable number for total tax.

Dora home around 2, I think.

Coughing, headachey. Took a paracetamol-plus around 5 AM. Online, finished and filed my Spanish income tax return.

Dora's father off to airport to meet her sister. I went out to sit in plaza, then to Dia for groceries. Home, and started moving furniture to make room for the people coming to stay this weekend. Dora's sister from the south arrived at 7:15. I went out later for another walk and sit. My sore throat has turned into a cough.

Slept okay, but headachey. Took a sumatriptan before dawn. Rain at 9:30, then slowly got sunny and breezey. Out at 12:30 for a walk and then to fruit/veg shop. Home at 1:15, just behind Dora's father and niece. Good news, the gas-guy is here, we have hot water again, just in time for the crowd to show up tomorrow. €64 to do it, it will show up on our gas bill.

Out later to walk and sit, and buy some supplies at a shop. Headache; took a Dolocatil and laid down for a while.

Out at 6:15 with Dora and sister and niece to take niece to a doctor's appointment. I dropped them off and went for a sit and walk. Home, then Dora called and I met them in a jamon-cafe. Later to Pakistan phone shop, then home.

Setting up two phones for Dora's parents, lots of fun.

Moved mattresses and light sofa-bed around to get ready for 5 people arriving tomorrow morning. I think we did it totally wrong, ended up losing a lot of seating in the living room. Family from the north arrived around 5:30 AM. Up at 9:15, and the kids are bouncing around. Dora out after 10, going to work an 11-11 shift.

Online, ordered more sumatriptan. Prices have gone up, and fewer places have it. Not sure where it's going to ship from, maybe India. Paid for it with a virtual credit card from Privacy.com, first time I've used that. Delivery to Barcelona. We'll see if it arrives, any of about 4 things could go wrong.

Out at 11:30 or so. Inside handle has broken off front door off the building; need to use your key to get out. To Pakistani phone shop, and the guy determined I needed a new battery and new charging cord for my Samsung phone, €23. Walked down and up F-i-P, sat in plaza, then to fruit/veg shop. Home, and most people are out somewhere.

Dinner, in a couple of shifts.

Samsung phone not working. I left it on charger, now it won't do anything again.

Laid down for a while. Out at 6:30 or so. To HCC, and found the children and Dora's sisters and son. Headed home with them, then we split up and son and I carried the groceries home. Out again, and to phone shop. Showed the guy that the phone still was dead, he says it needs repair for €45. Told him I'd think about it. Went and sat in the plaza for a while.

Back to phone store and left the phone for repair. He's already gotten rid of the battery he replaced this morning, but it was an old battery anyway, probably needed replacing.

We watched Real Madrid - Liverpool on TV, but I went out for a walk at halftime, and most of the scoring took place while I was out. Final 3-1.

Took a quick shower at 11:30, because I expect the bathroom will be full tomorrow morning. Dora home at midnight or so. Up at 8:15 or so, and soon the apartment is a madhouse. Everyone getting ready for niece's First Communion. Dora heading out at 10 to work 11-11; she has to miss the occasion.

Out of apartment around 10:45. Walked 6 blocks or so to the church. Not crowded, maybe 1/2 full. Most of us men lurked around the back while Dora's parents and others sat in the first row. About 14 victims, I mean First Communicants, sitting on chair around the altar. 5 or 10 minutes in, the three-year-old twins had had enough, and had to be taken outside, where they demanded their mother come out too, etc. In and out, and I missed the actual moment of first communion, no big deal. But a normal mass, and a pleasant time.

Done after noon, then Dora's sister insists on taking a million pictures of everyone in various combinations, until the niece rebels and we're able to go out. Home, with a stop at the plaza across the street for more pictures, then inside. Niece goes straight for the presents and opens them, then her mother is demanding more pictures. Finally done, and dinner is being cooked.

Dinner in shifts, sort of. Laid down for a while.

Out at 4:45. I thought it was going be just one sister and the niece and I, taking the niece to go ice-skating. But it turned out the other sister and the 3-year-old twins were coming along too. So 6 of us through the Metro, having to use the elevators everywhere. Virrei Amat connect at Sagrada Familia, out at Tetuan. Route suggested by Dora's son, and I didn't like it, with so many people.

To ice-skating rink at 5:30 or so, and perfect timing, there's the niece's friend from school arriving with her parents just as we are arriving. In, got the girls outfitted, and they had fun skating and clowning around.

I thought the place would be open until 8:30, but they closed at 7, which was fine with us, time to go. Took a different route home, Girona to Llucmajor, much better.

But then as we neared home, the niece insisted on going to the playground in the park across the street, and soon she and the twins were having a great time, and I had to push them on the swings and worry that they'd fall off things etc. Dora's father arrived to help supervise. I noticed the twins needed the bathroom, niece refused to go home, eventually she was helping each of them to pee in the bushes.

Finally they were willing to leave. Home before 8:30. I'm tired.

I thought the crew from the north was leaving around 9-10 or so (Dora gave me that impression), but they didn't.

Dora home at midnight.

Family from north left at 1 AM. I showered and went to bed. Dora stayed up for a while. Dora slept late. Slow morning. Niece home at 1, but had headache so didn't go back to school 3-5. Weather getting warm and muggy. Out for a walk in midafternoon, and to shops for groceries.

Out with Dora in the evening. To ATM, then to phone shop. They replaced the whole guts of the smartphone, losing the data and OS etc (something I hadn't expected, but not a big loss). Paid €45, supposedly I have a 6-month warranty, although later Dora pointed I didn't get a receipt or any paperwork about a warranty.

To Chinese shop to buy lightbulbs and flashlight etc. Then across street to drag Dora into a woodshop to ask about repairing a broken chair. Had to push her to go back in and ask more. Finally found out they will do it for cheap. Dragged Dora home, got the chair, went back to the shop, waited through a line to give them the chair, should be done Wednesday.

Walked down F-i-P, bought some clothing, eventually to our favorite cafe/bakery for coffee and pastry. Lounged and leafed through magazines. Finally out and home by 8:30.

Handed a couple of smartphones by Dora's sister, copied more than 30 GB of data from them. Have to copy it to an external disk (which I can't find right now), and also delete some of it off one phone, which is completely full. Took down the broken light-fixture from son's bedroom. Mounting the new one is going to be a challenge, it has different mount-points and the old one was held on by string and screws and a prayer.

Out with Dora at 11:25. Warm day. Across Meridiana and to INSS for an 11:40 cita. No wait, right in, and soon out with a paper saying I'm entitled to healthcare coverage because I'm married to her and she's a worker. Longish, warm walk to the medical center at Rio Janeiro. I waited 15-20 minutes, while Dora went upstairs to do something else. My turn came, I handed over ID cards and paper. The official was old and spoke no English, but we got past the few stumbling blocks and got it done. Dora appeared as we were finishing and they were handing me a new temporary health card. Home by 12:50.

Dinner. Dora out after 2, to work 3-11. I went out at 2:45 to sit in VA plaza. Sister wanting me to copy stuff from her phones to USB drives, etc. Out again in evening.

Dora home around 11:45. A little headachey at dawn; took a paracetamol-plus. Raining fairly hard starting at 8, but mostly stopped by 8:30 or so. Dora out to niece's school for a 9:30 meeting with teacher. Online, I applied for TSE card for Dora, son, and I. Out after noon to pick up fixed chair from woodshop; €7.

Out at 2:30 to sit in plaza, then walk to HCC to mail a letter. Warm.

Put new light-fixture up in son's bedroom, and it doesn't work. Maybe the problem is the wall-switch.

Dora out after 6, to work a 7-1 shift.

Out at 8:30 or so, wearing sandals for the first time this summer. My feet have been too hot the last few days.

Dora home some time before 2. A little headachey at dawn; took a paracetamol-plus.

Marriage certificates came in the mail, so at 12:15 I dashed out. Dora out before me, to go to another office and then work 3-11. I went to F-i-P metro, to Navas, to Extranjeria office. Waited through slow line to be told I'm supposed to mail the papers to another office. Back into metro, back to F-i-P. Stopped at bank to deposit some cash for Dora.

Dinner. Then around 2:30, got email saying our train tomorrow to France is cancelled because of French strike. Quickly found bus tickets, but struggled to buy them. Tried two credit cards and PayPal. Finally had to switch to different browser and turn off VPN to get it done.

Looked at wall switch in son's bedroom, couldn't see anything wrong with it.

Out before 4:30. To VA metro, long crowded ride (but I had a seat) to Sants Estacio. To the RENFE office, short wait, got refunds for the two cancelled train tickets, made sure they're not cancelling the return tickets. Metro ride back to VA, standing half the way. Longish walk to El Corte Ingles to mail a letter to govt office. To ATM for cash. Home by 6 or so.

Out in the evening to buy a few snacks for tomorrow, and sit in the plaza.

Dora's mother said the overhead light in her bedroom stopped working. I found a light-switch had been turned off; there are three switches for that light. Then it occurred to me to look in the room where I'd been replacing the overhead fixture, the son's bedroom. Sure enough, there's a second switch in there, and it was keeping the light turned off. D'oh !

Dora home before midnight. Packing for the trip. Out at 10:30 to niece's school, to pay €189 for a month of school and three months of swimming pool.



Trip to Toulouse, France:
Nice to see everyone again, but soon various chores and problems to attend to: Dora call the notary, son's laptop has stopped working (probably needs new battery and keyboard), niece dropped her tablet and broke the screen, need to pay for previous doctor's appt and another one this evening.

After dinner, out for a sit in the plaza, walk, to fruit/veg shop. Warm.

Watched a little of Morocco-Iran World Cup football game on TV.

Out at 7:30 to meet Dora and niece in a cafe after doctor's appt, later joined by her son.

Watched most of Spain-Portugal World Cup football game on TV. Exciting game, ended 3-3 with Ronaldo scoring all 3 goals for Portugal.

Out at 10 to sit in plaza and have a nice walk. Out at 11:30 or so to hit ATM, walk, sit in plaza, to Dia for a big load of groceries.

Watched first half of Argentina-Iceland game, another draw.

After 4, to Mercadona with Dora and niece.

Watched Peru-Denmark game, with a room full of Peruvians, and we all were disappointed. Not as good as the other games, and Peru lost 1-0. They even missed a penalty shot, badly.

Out to walk and sit in the plaza. Nice outside, a little too warm inside. Out at 5:15 or so with Dora, niece and father. To F-i-P metro, change at Catalunya, out at Drassanes. Down to the harbor. Had to wait because the bridge was open, but then across to MareMagnum and found our boat. We're going for a harbor-sea cruise.

A little confusion about WHICH boat, since the name is not on the receipt, and I don't see the blue flags it says to look for. But we're on, and we have plenty of room, only about 15 people aboard including us. The boat waits for a party of 5 or 6 arriving from a hotel, then we're off a little after 6:30.

Immediately the niece wants a hamburger; no problem. Dora has a coke, and they settle inside while her father and I are outside. Too bad there aren't any big cruise-ships in harbor tonight, but there's a fairly big Club Med sail-cruiser. We go out into the sea, and there are plenty of boats to look at. Eventually I coax the niece out of the cabin, and she starts roaming around. Dora comes out, but she wants to stay in the shade. Niece enjoys trying some yoga, then seeing how her hair blows around. Later she goes below and uses the bathroom, and is amused by how the boat bounces while she's in there.

We do a nice big loop, nothing fancy, sea is calm but has just enough swell to amuse Dora and niece. I'm happy. Pics.

Back in by 8, and Dora says her father enjoyed it a lot, and the niece is happy, so it worked out well. Long metro ride back; wish it didn't take so long to get here.

Home at 9. Started watching second half of Brazil - Switzerland football game on TV, and it's a good one. Ended 1-1 tie. Headache; took a sumatriptan.

Out around 11, to metro and to extranjeria office. Waited 20-25 minutes in line to get to Information desk, where they weren't very helpful, told me to send my expediente number to an email address. Frustrating. Home by 12:15.

Correos delivered a confirmation of matrimonio document for Tarjeta Comunitaria, and a Customs letter about some more sumatriptan I've ordered.

Dinner, then Dora out to work 3-11.

Online, wrestling with web sites for ADTPostales and Tributaria to pay Customs duty on the sumtriptan shipment.

Out at 6 or so, to a couple of shops, bought a small USB fan. To plaza to sit for a while, but it's too warm for comfort. To Dia for groceries.

Online, managed to finish the paperwork for importing the sumatriptan. For 30 tablets, it cost $60 purchase, $20 shipping (from India), €16.45 to Spanish Customs, and will cost €5.60 to Correos. That's about $106, or $3.50/tablet. I think they cost more like $5/tablet in a pharmacy here; will have to check for latest price. I used to be able to get them in USA (delivered from elsewhere) for more like $1.25/tablet. But something changed in the worldwide pharma regulation of them a year or two ago, now they're hard to get.

Out for a walk in the cool of the evening.

Dora home before midnight. Dora out early to go to doctor and notario. Now the notario has changed the story they've told us for 2 months, they said they were sending our document to Registro, now they say we have to get a lawyer to do it. I'm out at noon to walk and sit, but it's warm. To fruit shop. Dinner. Nap. Online, sent apartment deposit money to Dora's son's account in Slovakia. Then bought bus and plane ticket for him to go there. Out in early evening to buy phone-card and melon. Out later to sit and walk and then buy groceries at Dia. Lots of noise at home as they're packing to go to Peru tomorrow, and Dora's son is trying to arrange new apartment in Slovakia. Out to ATM and walk and sit in plaza. Warm. Home again. Fixing a phone for Dora's mother to take to Peru. Light dinner.

Then at 1:15, son and I and Dora's mother and niece and 5 suitcases pile into a taxi and off to the airport. Arrive, I pay €43 for the taxi, then pay €30 to wrap the three big suitcases in plastic. Slow line at check-in but all ends up well. Get wheelchair assistance for the mother, to security, and niece and mother go through, they're off to Peru for almost 6 weeks. Son and I take shuttle bus to train. I get out at Passeig de Gracia and stroll in the center for a while, sitting for a while, people-watching. Lots of people. A little too warm for comfort. Eventually to Jaume I metro, to Llucmajor, home by 5:20.

Dora out at 6 to work 7-1. The little USB fan I bought 2 days ago has stopped working. Took it back to the shop and was surprised when they exchanged it for another, no problem. Home, then soon out again to recharge the SIM on my phone. Sat in plaza briefly, then home to watch Spain - Iran football on TV.

Dora home after 2, a couple of buses were full. Dora's son off at 6:15 or so, to airport to go to med school in Slovakia. I'm out in midafternoon to sit, walk, then get a big load of groceries at Dia. Warm. Finally broke down and ran the air-conditioner. We watched Peru - France football on TV, but not a good game, and Peru lost.

And then Dora wanted to re-arrange our bedroom totally, and another 1/4 of the apartment with it. Switch mattresses, move a chest of drawers and a rack and who knows what else.

And finally news about the sister's situation with apartments, banks and courts. The bank probably will end up taking both apartments, and we might end up moving. Just my guess.

Out for a walk and sit. Home again, watched last 30 minutes or so of Argentina - Croatia game, and Argentina ended up losing 3-0. Dora out before noon to doctor's appointment, pharmacy. Air-conditioning. I cooked dinner. Nap. Out to sit and walk and go to fruit shop. World Cup Nigeria - Iceland game. Headache in early evening; took a Dolocatil. Out to sit and walk and get groceries at Dia. Still headache in late evening; took a sumatriptan and then a diazepam. Today is Dia San Joan, which is why people have been setting off firecrackers for the last few days. Dora out at 10, to work an 11-11 shift. Looks like workers are setting up for a big bonfire tonight in Placa Soler, across from our apartment.

Out after 2. F-i-P metro, connect, out at San Antoni. Waited 10+ minutes for Dora to come out of work. We wandered a bit looking for a cafe, and stumbled across a nice one, Granja Cafeteria just off Manso. Two menus del dia and watched Belgium slaughter Tunisia on TV; score was 5-2 but could have been 8-2 except for various misses.

Dora back to work after 4. I lingered, then checked out the newly refurbished San Antoni mercado. Across to La Rambla, passing through somewhat-dodgy Raval. Street art: pic. Found a free art exhibit, but nothing inside really could be photographed well: pics. Saw a guy carrying a bottle of whiskey, and stopping to pour some of it into a friend's mouth. Then up to sit near Placa Catalunya end of it. Eventually into the metro. Home after 6.

Out to fruit shop. Watched Germany - Sweden game on TV, off and on. Germany won with a goal in the last 15 seconds or so of extra time.

Around 11, the party across the street in Placa Soler really got going, with the bonfire lit and some aerial fireworks and music. I put on my audio earbuds for a bit of hearing-protection, and went out there. Nice, except there are far too many loud explosions for my taste. Took some pictures and went back home. Pictures from earlier in the day, and at night: pics.

Headache, not from the noise; took a sumatriptan.

Dora home at 11:50, and of course she wanted to go to the bonfire across the street, to throw in papers with things written on them that you want to get rid of. So we went out, but didn't get close to the fire. Lots of explosions. Took some more pictures and went home. To bed by 12:15.

The music and explosions continued in the park until 4 AM, but we had the windows closed and our bedrooms are on the other side of the apartment, so it really didn't bother us. Dora out after 10, to work 11-11. I cooked pesto-spaghetti for dinner for myself and her father. Watching England - Panama football on TV, and it's England 5-0 before halftime. Out in early evening for a longish walk. Watched a little of Colombia - Poland game. Out later for another walk. Dora home before midnight. Tried to pay tasa for my TC. Out to a bank, long wait, no go, back home, out to another, system didn't work after 20 minutes of trying, gave up. Waste of over an hour of my life. Sat in the plaza for a little while to let my blood pressure come back down. Home for dinner.

Out in midafternoon. To ECI to buy envelopes and mail a document. To ATM, then Dia. Out for more walks in the evening. Watched a little of Spain - Morocco football on TV, and Spain was lucky to escape with a draw, they didn't look good. Out with Dora for a late-night walk; lots of talk about money and apartments etc. Went to same bank again (BBVA) to pay the tasa, failed again, now they say they don't even have that kind of form in their system (not what they were saying yesterday). Went to a bank 100 feet away (Sabadell) and paid the tasa no problem.

Out with Dora before 1. To F-i-P metro, longish ride to Universitat, walked to computer repair place. As I thought, her son's laptop needs a new laptop, someone spilled water into it. We waited 10 minutes while they did it, I paid €45. Out, and to a Lebanese cafe nearby for a fairly nice lunch. Then to metro, Dora got on to go 1 stop (!) to work, I started walking. Over to La Rambla and sat for a while. Over to language school near Arc, but turns out they're closed 2-4. Into Arc metro, had to stand all the way home, out and home after 4. Hot. Turned on the air-conditioner.

Out for several walks in the evening. Dora home before midnight. Out after 11. Up to Correos and picked up my package (sumatriptan). Into Llucmajor metro, longish ride to Jaume I. Wandered around the center a bit, into the cathedral. Street art: pics. Then across to the language school and paid €150 to register for the July classes. Into metro at Arc, warm and crowded, out at F-i-P. To Dia for groceries, home after 1:15. Hot, started running the air-conditioner. Dinner, nap.

Online, a sudden rush to buy tickets for Dora's son to come back from Slovakia on Saturday. Dora out at 6 to work 7-1. I went out for a couple of walks in the evening. Dora home before 2. Took apart the niece's broken tablet, down to the point where I want to see if some shop can get replacement digitizer-glass for it and do the replacement of just that piece. Pics. Also looked at her dermatology machine, but it's not putting out high-pressure air, probably it's irreparable.

Hurried dinner, then out with Dora at 1:45. I had two errands to do with her, but at the last minute she announced we had to go to a shoe store to try to return shoes, so we went there. By the time we got to the Metro, and to the photo booth where I need to take my photo, we were hot and rushed. She was combing my hair and buttoning my shirt, telling me to sit up straight which put my face out of the picture, I was sweating like a pig, we were rushing, and in the rush I forgot to take off my glasses. Got halfway home and realized the photos probably are worthless, waste of €5. Home at 2:30 and turned on the air-conditioning.

Put up light-dome in Dora's son's room. Out at 7 or so, under dark grey skies. Got change at fruit shop. No photo booth in VA metro, ended up back in F-i-P metro, took a new set of photos. Back up and sat in VA plaza for a while. A little rain as I got home.

Opened up the dermalaser machine. Motor is working, so the problem is either the pump or the solenoid.

Out for a late-evening walk, fairly cool out. Dora home at 11:45. Out before 12. To F-i-P metro, connect at Clot, out at Sant Marti, to Extranjeria on Guiposcoa for my 12:30 cita. A line of 10 people or so, but it was moving and linear, not my past experience here. Lady at the front desk thought I wanted to renew my TIE early, despite the TC paperwork I'd put in front of her. Got that straightened out, got an appointment slip by 12:40. But the number is 230, and they're on 180 or so. It's going to be a while.

Waited, got closer, finally my number came up at 1:30. In, and the official knew his business, but spoke no English (par for the course in this office). At the beginning I thought he was explaining that I wouldn't receive a new card until October when my current card expired, but then at the end he said pick up my new card in 4+ weeks. Out at 1:40, to metro. Thought I would run into Dora going out to work, but she must have taken a different route. Home by 2:10.

Out several times in the evening. Concert setting up in Placa Soller across the street, and music started at 9:15. Dora home at 11:40. Dora's son arrived from Slovakia at 11.

Took the motor-pump assembly out of the dermalaser machine, but now I need an Allen wrench I don't have. And it looks like when they assembled the pump, they rounded off some of the Allen-bolts. Pics.

Finally got the last few days of pictures out of my phone; the cable is bad.

Out after noon with Dora. To shop to see about new screen for tablet. To another shop to buy Allen wrenches and a scale. To fruit shop to buy a ton of fruit and veg.

Watched a bit of France - Argentina game. Out with Dora in the evening, to a couple of computer places, a couple of shoe shops, and a cafe for coffees. Home, and watch some of the Uruguay - Portugal game. Out for a late-evening walk. Loafed. Dinner. Out for a walk. Watched much of Spain - Russia game, Spain lost on penalty shots. Out for a couple of walks. Watched some of Croatia - Denmark game, Croatia won on penalty shots. Headache, maybe because of a glass of wine last night; took a sumatriptan.

Out at noon or so. Cash at ATM, then paid €139 at niece's school. To Dia for a load of groceries. Home, then back out. To ECI to mail letter to UK, then to fruit shop for fruit/veg.

I thought Dora was cooking dinner, but all she did was cook the meat, then at 2 she's heading out to work ! So I cooked and we had a late dinner. Watched a little World Cup.

Out at 5:50 or so, to F-i-P metro, to Arc. To language school by 6:20, for 6:30 "false beginner" class.

6 students: 3 male, 3 female. Looks like the women all are continuing a previous class with this teacher, and the 3 guys all are new. The teacher talked fast and we dove right in, and I had a very hard time. We're doing possessive and reflexive adjectives and pronouns, and I never really learned the basic nominative pronouns correctly. Halfway through the class, I found the teacher had been ABBREVIATING a couple of the basic pronouns, which is a terrible thing to do, and explained about 10% of my confusion. And one page of photocopies was almost unreadable. But I kept going, and learned some stuff.

Done at 8:40, and my brain is fried as usual after a language class. Wandered over to the Arc and sat there for a while, watching skaters and people walking by. Eventually into the metro, and home by 9:20 or so. Showered and ate. Dora home before midnight. Headache; took a sumatriptan. Glanced at the Spanish pronouns from yesterday, with Dora, and confused as ever. Out to fruit shop. Dinner.

Out at 5:45 or so. To metro, to language class. A struggle as usual. Down to 5 students, but maybe 1 is just out temporarily. Out at 8:40 or so, sat for a while, into metro and home. Watched much of England - Colombia game. Headache in the early AM; took a diazepam and later a sumatriptan. Feeling bad in the morning.

Out to Dia for groceries. Before 6, out to language class. Not too bad tonight. Sixth student was back again. Home by 9:15. Son out at 10:30 or so. Dora home by 2. Son home around 6. Headache; took a paracetamol-plus.

I cooked dinner, spaghetti-pesto-chorizo-zucchini-broccoli, to a decidedly lukewarm reception. I think Dora's father thinks sauce on spaghetti should be red, Dora thinks vegetables should be cooked to death, and her son thinks vegetables should not be eaten. Anyway, they all ate it (except the son took out all the vegetables).

Out at 5:50, to metro and language class. Not too bad today, a few rough patches. Out at 8:40, and I wandered through the neighborhood between Arc and Palau Musica. Turned out to be pretty interesting, and a lot of street art: pics. Into Placa Catalunya metro and home by 10:15.

Around 11, had a nice shower, started to think about bed, but Dora wanted to go out so she could run ! And she wouldn't go without me. So we went out, and I walked a bit fast as she ran in various places. Nice out, but a fair number of people walking their dogs. Home at midnight. Quiet day. Cooked dinner, watched most of two World Cup games, went for walks. Didn't sleep much last night. Dora out after 10 to work 11-11. I loafed. Out in midafternoon for groceries. Watched much of England - Sweden football game. Took apart pump in dermalaser machine, put whole thing back together, got some life out of it. Out for a couple of walks. Watched Croatia beat Russia on the last penalty kick after overtime. One of the few World Cup matches (that I cared about) that has come out the way I was rooting for. Dora home before midnight. Quiet day. Hot out. Dora out after 10, to work 11-11. I went out for several walks. Did a lot of internet. Took a melatozinc before bed. Dora home before midnight. Headache. Back to bed and slept late. Took a sumatriptan. Felt better after the pill and shower and dinner. Out in midafternoon to buy groceries. Out before 6 to metro and language class. Interesting truck: pic. Class not too bad today, and one new student, a German guy. Out at 8:30, strolled a bit and to Placa Catalunya, eventually into metro and home by 9:30. Out with Dora at 10:30 or so for a nice walk, but it's still and very warm and humid out. Dora's son out early, off with friends to a beach for several days. Loafed, went out for groceries, cooked dinner, loafed. Out before 6, to language class. Had a rough time tonight, felt like I came out knowing less than when I went in. Hustled home to watch most of 2nd half of France - Belgium game. Shower. Dora home at 11:40. I'm still upset about my Spanish class. Went through Spanish reflexive/indirectobject/directobject with Dora, and maybe I'm a tiny bit less confused. Out after noon, to ATM and then to Dia for groceries. Out again to fruit shop. Cooked dinner. Out to ECI to pay water bill, €128.50 for 2 months. Online, ordered a new digitizer for niece's broken tablet.

Out before 6, metro, to language class. Not too bad, but not exciting. Irritated in the metro: two people jumped the turnstile behind me, no police around, and they dashed onto a train before I could find anyone to report them to. Hustled home. Surprised to find Dora home, thought she'd be at work, but her schedule changed a little. Watched most of 2nd half of England - Croatia game, then into overtime. Happy that Croatia won. Took a melatozinc before bed, but I don't think it helps me sleep, too low a dose. Headache; took a sumatriptan. Cooked dinner. Dora out after 2 to work 3-11. I loafed, then out before 6 to language class. Not too bad. Afterward, walked across the center to Raval, supposed to be a fiesta over there, but I didn't see anything. Pleasant walk and sit anyway. Eventually into metro Paral.lel, which was having a problem on line 3, but I was taking line 2. Home by 10:15, a bit hot and tired. Out at 10:45 to buy a calling card for Dora, but the locutori was closed. Dora home a little early at 11:35. Headache; took a paracetamol-plus. Felt better after breakfast. Cooked dinner. Dora's son came home from vacation at the beach near Girona. Dora out after 2, to work 3-11. Later I went out to sit and walk and get groceries at Dia. After 7, out to buy calling-card and then try to go to a blues concert up at the govt center, but the concert had some problem, doors not open yet and a long line of people waiting. Went down to VA plaza, sat for a bit, to fruit shop and home. Out at 9:30, up to the govt plaza, and the blues concert is going full speed, quite nice. I sat outside, a couple hundred meters away, and listened for a while. Then walked, and home. Dora home after 11. Power went out around 6:45, but it turned out to be the whole building power, a relief that we didn't forget to pay our bill or something. Soon back on, then off for another minute, then back on.

Dora out after 7, to work 8-8. I went out at noon for a walk and sit. Cooked dinner. Out again later to Dia for groceries. Watched 2nd half of Belgium - England game. Out to fruit/veg shop. Dora home before 9.

Out at 10:45 with Dora for a walk. Warm, still night. Up to the govt complex, to the blues concert. Good band, although the music was not very danceable. But we had a good time, stayed until midnight or so. Weather cooling a little, nice. Quiet day. Out in early afternoon for walk and sit. Watched France beat Croatia in the World Cup final. Out to walk again later. Out around 10 to walk with Dora. Still and warm and humid out. Rain starting at 8:45, first we've had in a long while. Moderate for 15 minutes, then very heavy for about 45 minutes. Nice.

I cooked dinner. Dora out after 2, to work 3-11. Afternoon getting sunny. Out to Dia for groceries.

Out before 6, stopped at ferreteria, then into metro and to language class. Wandered around the block before going in. Street art: pics. Not a bad class. Out, and strolled down through Arc and Parc Ciutadella and across through old town. Eventually to Jaume I metro and home after 9:45.

Dora home before midnight, and they've called a meeting at work for 8 AM tomorrow morning, something about changing rules and maybe schedules. It was going to be a day off for her, too. Dora out after 7, to go to meeting at work. I went out around 9:30, to metro and to Extranjeria at Carre de Mallorca to pick up my new Tarjeta Comunitario card. Success, metro, stopped at fruit shop, home after 11.

Dora home by 11:30; her meeting was long but not very important.

We can't find the document we need to register. But off to local govt center anyway, for 12:30 cita. Had to wait 10-15 minutes, then the officials had no idea how to register our document, gave us addresses of other offices. It seems that even though they're listed as a registro branch office, they're not really. Home after 1:15, hungry.

Cooked dinner. Loafed. Before 6, to metro and to language class. Pretty brutal tonight, very hot in the classroom despite the fan, and I did badly. They played some audio and I got almost none of it. Home by 9, irritated and hot. Air-conditioning, food, shower. Out after noon to Dia for groceries (found a €5 bill on the floor in the store !), then out again to fruit/veg shop. Cooked dinner. Loafed. Searched our "filing system" and eventually found the document I want to register with the govt.

Out before 6, and to language class. Not bad today. Afterward, went for a longish walk up and across to Sagrada Familia. Street art: pic. Home by 9:45. Dora is working 7-1 tonight. Headachey in late morning; took a paracetamol-plus. Out to Dia for groceries, then out again to fruit shop. Dora cooked too-spicy spaghetti for dinner. Contacting Vodafone to find out if there is new firmware for our internet router, and it's frustrating.

Still headachey in late afternoon; took a Neobrufen. Out before 6, to metro and language school. Class not bad, and after 20 minutes they moved us to a bigger, nicer classroom with a window.

Out, and wandered across to La Rambla and sat for a while. Street art: pics. Into metro and home by 10:10. Cooked dinner. Out in late afternoon to sit and then to Dia for groceries.

Out again at 6 or so, down to F-i-P metro and two stops to Navas. Found the cannabis club I was looking for (not easy), got in, lady who runs it signed me up. I was sure she would say no, you have to be recommended by a current member, which is what their blurb on some web site says. But no problem. Not cheap: €27 for a year, and the edibles I want won't be available for a week. But I got signed up. (Don't tell Dora; she's totally against it.) Metro back, to fruit shop, home before 7.

Out in the evening for another walk. Warm. Achey; took a Neobrufen. Dora out after 10, to work 11-11. Heavy rain starting at 12:15, but nice later. I loafed much of the day. Out for a walk and for groceries and fruit.

Out after 9:30. Longish metro ride, out and walked down past Dora's work, across Paral.lel, and found a fire-parade I was looking for. But streets too crowded to enjoy the parade and get decent photos. Pics. Loads of people out everywhere, in the cafes and parks and playgrounds and sidewalks.

Picked up Dora at work after 11, and she just wants to go home. So into Poble Sec metro, long ride home, in before midnight. Took a Neobrufen before bed. Headachey; took a paracetamol-plus. Dora out after 10, to work 11-11. I loafed. Dinner. Moderate rain starting after 3:30. Nice afterward. Out for a couple of walks and to hit an ATM. Out walking after 8, got caught by a downpour and had to stand under a balcony for 15+ minutes. Out for a late-night walk, nice and cool out. Dora home around midnight. We don't get to bed until 1:15, for some reason. Out at 1 with Dora. To ATM, pharmacy, beauty-store, Dia for groceries. Dinner.

Out before 6, to metro, to language class. Not bad, only 5 students, one new guy from USA. Out slightly early, strolled down Arc and up Meridiana. Warm out. Into Marina metro, home by 9:30. Out after 10. To F-i-P metro, and as I got there I realized I should have taken a different metro. But in, and out at Urquinaona, only to find that the connection to the other line is closed. Walked down into the center, and then found Dora had been right, the office I wanted was a bit further over than I expected. But got to it, the central Registro.

In, took a number, went upstairs, waited. Eventually realized I had taken a number for slightly the wrong "section", since the machine downstairs didn't mention sections. But it was about to be my turn. Went in, lady said I had to go to other section, she kicked me back into the queue, had to wait another 3 minutes.

In, handled by an official who seemed to the main guy in the section. I had every document he asked for, and six others just in case. Lots of typing, one correction, signed, eventually out. They'll send the document to Jerez, I'll get something back in the mail (I think).

To Drassanes metro, connect at Diagonal, out at VA. To fruit shop, home by 12:40. Hot.

Dinner. Dora out after 2, to work 3-11. I'm out before 6, to language class. A tough one today, a couple of new subjects and they're tricky. Out and sat by Arc de Triomf for a while. Home before 9:45. Dora home before midnight. Got out the broken tablet, used a hair-dryer to unglue the old broken digitizer from the other plastic, put the new digitizer in place. Couldn't find the masking tape with the tiny screws on it; maybe it got thrown out. Put the tablet back together and realized that tape also had the strip of plastic that forms the power and volume buttons. Used a small screwdriver to power the tablet on, and the new digitizer works, fixed ! Then found the tape with screws and plastic, so I'll open it up again tomorrow and finish the job.

Cooked dinner. I'm out before 6, to language school. Dora will go out soon, to work 7-1. Language class hot and tough. Walked for a while afterward. Street art: pics. Into metro, home by 9:30.

Dora not home until about 2:15 or later, I think. Taxi strike, buses full. Had to open up the tablet again to put the plastic for the switches into it, and in the difficult process of getting it open, the new digitizer cracked right across. Broken again, and of course it broke near the cable, so 80% of the digitizer is dead. This time I'm going to just throw it away. From the thrill of victory to the agony of defeat.

Out to Dia for a big load of groceries. Hotter than usual; heart of summer is starting. Out again with Dora to the finca and then to the fruit shop. Cooked dinner. Dora out after 2 to work 3-11.

Out before 6, to metro, to language class. Not bad, review of indirect object pronouns that we did yesterday, plus some new vocabulary and stuff. Out at 8:30.

To metro, to Navas, and went to the cannabis club. Went in, and this time I went into the back, and was surprised at how nice it is, two floors with lots of sofas and TV and books and games and a pool table etc. Empty now, but 20 or 30 people could lounge here and smoke or whatever.

I went to the kitchen/store part, and a guy was buying some buds, I think. They had to be weighed and signed for, I think there's a annual weight limit. Then I bought 4 cookies, for €14: pic. She said €3 apiece last week, but maybe the size/potency varies, I don't know. Out, to metro, home by 9:30. Dora home by 11:45 or so. Headache. Took a Neobrufen before dawn, and a sumtriptan in mid-morning. Felt okay but tired after noon. Cooked dinner. Dora out after 2 to work 3-11. I walked with her to the corner, then I went to two ATMs, Dia, fruit shop. Hot.

At 2:45, I ate half of a cannabis cookie. First time I've ever tried cannabis/marijuana. An hour later, feeling a little wobbly, maybe. By 4, definitely wobbly, but still able to use the computer. Ten minutes later, definitely get dizzy if I move around. By 5:15, maybe slightly more wobbly. Thirsty. By 6:20, maybe maintaining right at the equivalent of two stiff drinks ? 7:15, still right about the same. 8:30 I think the buzz is starting to decrease. Told Dora (via WhatsApp) what I'm doing, and she's not happy.

Out at 9:35 to walk and see if the eclipse has started. Feeling a little tired, but otherwise pretty normal. Solid clouds overhead; probably not going to see the moon tonight. Hot outside.

Out again before 11 for a walk. Hot and still clouded over. Home, and Dora's home early, before 11:30. And soon she's giving me grief about the cannabis; now that I've tried it once, she wants me to throw away the rest of it. Dora up before 7, out at 7:15, to work 8-8. Achey. Took a Neobrufen and back to bed until 10:30. Still achey. Out after 1 for groceries and fruit. Cooked dinner. Loafed in the afternoon, hot out. Went for a walk before 8. Dora home after 8:30. Still giving me static about the cannabis. Out at 10:30 for another walk. Hot, lazy day. Cooked dinner. Went for a couple of walks in the evening. Apparently the major taxi-strike is continuing here. Hope it's over by the time we have to pick up Dora's mother and niece at the airport on Wednesday afternoon.

And it's getting hot this week. 91F or so today, supposed to be 94F on Wed and Thurs, 93F on Fri and Sat.

I cooked dinner. Dora out at 2, to work 3-11. I went out for groceries and fruit.

Out before 6, to metro and to language school. No sign of taxi strike in Arc de Triomf area. Paid €190 for another 5 weeks (40 hours) of class. Class was a bit hard, just hanging on much of the time. Out at 8:30. Sat by Arc for a while, listened to a nice street-band playing. Into metro and home by 9:30. Shower.

Dora home around 11:45, saying she was tired. Then she stayed up until about 1, I think. Online, bought train tickets for Dora's son to go to the north. Cooked dinner. Later out to Dia and fruit shop for groceries.

Out before 6, to metro and to language school. Class pretty grim, whole sections where I wasn't understanding much at all. Two other students really struggling too. Out at 8:30, strolled a bit. Street art: pics. Sat by Arc for a while, crowded metro train, home after 9:30. Headache at dawn; took a sumtriptan.

Out at 1:30 with Dora's son, off to the airport to pick up her mother and niece coming back from Peru. Hot walk to F-i-P metro, to Clot, caught train with 4 minutes to spare, to airport terminal 2. Shuttle bus to other terminal, got to Arrivals at 3. They landed at 2:15.

But we still had to wait more than half an hour. I had ordered assistance for her mother, who walks badly, but the airport staff said they had no wheelchairs available, so she had to walk a long way through the terminal and passport and baggage claim. And then she was wrung out when she got to us, so bathroom stop and then into airport cafe for drinks, which took forever to get. I need to get to language class this evening.

Finally out by 4:30 or so. Downstairs, and no taxis, since the strike still is on. Onto shuttle bus, to other terminal, long slow walk over to train station. Caught a train with about 2 minutes to spare. Crowded and the son and I had to stand until Sants Estacio.

Out at San Andreu Comtal station, and one of my sandals is coming apart. Started walking to metro station, then son called Cabify and we waited about 10 minutes in the heat. Cab came, home about 6, Dora going out the door to work 7-1.

Out again 5 minutes later. To metro, to class, got there three minutes late, and for some reason we didn't get started until 10 minutes late. 2/3 of it was okay, but 1/3 of of it was horrible and I came out mad again. Being hot and a bit hungry didn't help. Metro, out, stop at fruit shop, home by 9:15. Shower, glue sandal (managing to get a lot of glue on my fingers), eat.

Dora's mother has been talking to me as if I know Spanish, which I certainly don't. But I did hear her use a preterito perfecto construct, which is what we learned in class this week, and I understood it. So that was cool.

Dora home around 2. Headache in the early AM; took a sumtriptan. Trouble sleeping, partly because of the heat and headache, partly because I'm still upset about Spanish class.

Started running the air-conditioning at 10 or so, and most of us sleeping late. It's going to be 94F or so here today. Not horrible as long as you stay out of the direct sun, and walk slowly. Hottest parts of Spain are going up to 111F or so.

Online, found out the taxi strike ended late last night, too late to help with our trip back from the airport. But it should help for our trip to the bus station on Saturday.

Big dinner with some nice corn and Peruvian cheese, and turkey and rice and salad.

Out before 6. To a shop, then to metro and to language school. Class much better tonight. Out at 8:30, and wandered down from Arc to Parc, feeling hot and tired. In the Parc, found a concert about to start at 9, lucky to get a nice seat on a bench well off to the side. Concert started, and it was a jazz combo playing sort of free-form jazz, not to my taste. Listened for 10 minutes and left.

To metro and home by about 9:45. Hot and sweaty, and the bathroom with the big shower is occupied. Ate a sandwich, took a nice shower. Tired.

Headache in the middle of the night; took a paracetamol-plus, felt okay for a while. Dora's son left around 5:30, to catch train to Bilbao. Headache before 7; took a sumatriptan. Then the niece was up for some reason, wanting air-conditioning and glasses of milk.

I cooked dinner. Loafed in the afternoon. Messing with Linux, getting closer to switching my laptop from Windows to Linux. Out after 4 with niece to get ice cream (and groceries) at Dia. Others packing to go to north. Dora and I out after 9 for a walk; very still and humid and warm out. Out again after 10 to hit an ATM. Headachey. Up after 8, getting ready to go to bus station.

Had to prod Dora several times to get up, so she was 5-10 minutes late calling for a taxi, and then no answer from the taxi service. So I went down to main street, but no free taxis. Joined by Dora's mother, and we walked up to F-i-P. Finally snagged a taxi, but it's not a big one (beggars can't be choosers). To the apartment, loaded the suitcases and people, had to leave two big kid's toys behind.

Off to the Estacio Nord bus station. Out and found the bus with 5 minutes to spare. Stowed the luggage, they got on, I head to the metro. Missed a train by 10 seconds, next one in 7.5 minutes. Finally on, out at F-i-P.

Home after 10:20. Hot and sweaty and headachey. Dora is out, to work 11-11. Ate half a cannabis cookie, had a second cup of coffee to finish off the pot, and shave and shower. Then laid down for a while and listened to MP3s and maybe doze a little.

Fairly wobbly by 12:10. Slow afternoon. Omelet and salad for dinner. Out at 9:30 or so to walk and sit. Hot and humid and still out. Dora home by 11:30. Dora out after 10, to work 11-11.

Finished doing massive backups from my laptop to two external disk drives, then installed Linux Mint Cinnamon on my laptop, wiping out Windows. System is working fine, but it's going to take a couple of days to tweak everything and get applications and scripts set up and working. One major thing not working yet: uploading files to my web site.

Cooked chicken-potato-rice for dinner. Out for walk in late evening. Dora home at 11:45. More wrestling with Linux. Tried 5 versions of KeePass password manager before getting one that is tolerable. Solved web site uploading problem, mostly. Dinner of leftovers. Out for groceries and fruit at 5, then out to school before 6. Not a bad class, but hot and humid. Out at 8:30, sat near and then strolled past Estacio Nord, but it's too hot and humid for comfort. Into Marina metro and home after 9:30, pretty sweaty. Shower and food. Found Dora had already eaten 2 of the 3 chocolate ice-cream pops I bought this afternoon. Quiet morning. I cooked dinner, with too heavy a hand on the black pepper. Dora out after 2 to work 3-11. I'm out before 6, to language class, sat by Arc afterward, home after 9:15. Dora home at 11:50. Slept late. Leftovers for dinner. To Dia for a big load of groceries. Out before 6 to language class; Dora out after 6 to work 7-1. Class was good and bad by turns; I'm still mystified by the reflexive and indirect object and pronouns. Out and straight into Metro and home by 9:10, hot and sweaty and frustrated. Felt better after shower, food, stiff drink, ice cream. To bed, and Dora home after 2. After a while, couldn't sleep, angry about Spanish class. Got up, read a book, had a headache, took a paracetamol-plus. Headache; took a sumatriptan. Loafed, napped. Cookded dinner. Dora out after 2, to work 3-11. I went to fruit shop. Weather slightly grey, maybe going to rain. I'm out before 6, weather cool but humid. To class, not too horrible, out at 8:30. Sat near Arc for a bit, then metro and home before 9:30. Dora home at midnight exactly. Slept a bit late. Lovely cool weather, a front pushed away the humidity. Leftovers for dinner. Ate half a cannabis cookie. Out with Dora after 2, she's off to work 3-11. I sat in the plaza, walked, to Dia for groceries. By 3, the cannabis is kicking in. Quiet afternoon. Out for a walk in evening. Dora home before midnight. Out after noon with Dora. To several beauty-type shops and clothing/shoe stores. Bought a couple of shirts for me at Humana. Fruit etc at the fruit shop. Found a €1 coin on the ground in the small plaza. Home, and I cooked pork-pesto-spaghetti for dinner. Out at 10 with Dora, to walk and then have tapas and drinks in a cafe near the niece's school. Starting to get humid out again, but still pleasant. Headache; took a paracetamol-plus. Quiet day, went for a couple of walks, half-leftovers for dinner. Watched Barca play Seville at 10 PM, some kind of Supercopa final, they won 2-1, a couple of their new young players looked very good. I didn't realize Dora had to work today. Suddenly we're out of time to cook dinner, she rushed out after 2 without really eating anything. I cooked chicken-rice for myself, lots of leftovers. Out before 5 to donate a couple of shirts and get groceries. To class before 6, sat by Arc for a while afterward, home before 9:30. Dora home before midnight. Quiet day. Lovely moderate weather outside. Leftovers plus salad for dinner. Online, bought tickets for Dora's son to go back to Slovakia in September. Out before 6, to class. Afterward, strolled through the center a bit. Street art: pics. Saw an exhibit of Carrefoc statues, "vibras" (?): pics. Through the cathedral plaza, eventually to the metro at Placa Catalunya. Home by 9:45. Holiday today. But Dora out after 9, to work 10-10. I ate half a cannabis cookie with breakfast. Quiet day. Went for a walk in the evening. Out after 9 to go meet Dora after work, but I screwed up the metro trip, forgot about a section closed for repairs. Met Dora about 10 minutes late. We strolled down Avinguda Paral.lel, found a cafe, ended up just ordering coffees. Chatted and relaxed and watched people walking by. Eventually into metro and long ride home, arriving right at midnight. Out after noon for groceries. Fairly heavy rain while we're eating dinner at 2, then light rain later. Out before 6 to class. Feeling tired. Afterward, sat near Arc for a while. Home after 9:30.

Headache during the night. Took a Neobrufen, and later a sumatriptan. Quiet morning, then dark outside after 1 or so. I cooked dinner. Hoped it would rain and stop before Dora had to go out, but no such luck. Started blowing and pouring at about 1:55, and she had to go out at 2:05 to work 3-10. Still raining hard, plenty of lightning, at 2:30. Rain didn't taper off until after 3:30, stopped by 4:30. Out later for groceries.

Out after 9. To VA metro, to Diagonal, walked up into Gracia, where there's a district-wide festival. Met Dora after 10 outside Fontana metro, and we walked a bit. Crowded in places. Some nice decorations on sections of streets, and some concerts in plazas. Into a cafe for drinks and snack. Out, strolled a bit more, then we'd had enough. Thought I was heading for Diagonal metro, but came out at Joanic metro, good enough. Home by 11:40. Dora has to work tomorrow, but of course she stayed up for another hour or more. Dora out after 10, to work 11-11. I loafed. Out in early evening to walk and sit and use ATM and get groceries. Out again later to sit and walk and get fruit/veg.

Out after 10, and to a local bar to watch first half of the Barca - Alaves game. Had a beer, TV was loud, then the bartender turned it up to extra-loud. Boring game, Barca had some chances, 0-0 at half, and I left. [Second half was much better, I found out later. Barca scored 3 goals, won 3-0.] Strolled up past VA metro, and Dora flagged me down, I guess she got out early. Home by 11:25.

Headache during the night; took a sumatriptan. Dora out after 10, to work 11-11. I cooked spaghetti for dinner. Out for a long walk in the hottest part of the day, 4 PM. Out to walk a bit later, and sit in Placa Soler. To metro at 11:45 to meet Dora, home before midnight. Slept late. Cooked dinner. Out before 6 to language class. Yet another tense, the preterito indefinido, and I don't see why it's different from the preterito perfecto. Afterward, past Arc, through Parc Cuitadella, over to cathedral, up to Placa Catalunya, home after 9:30, sweaty. Shower and food. Out for two trips to grocery store and fruit shop, still managed to get somewhat-wrong beauty products for Dora. Mostly-leftovers for dinner. Dora out after 2, to work 3-11. I'm out before 6, to language class, out at 8:30, sat near Arc, home before 9:30. Dora's son arrived from the north at 10:40, and immediately irritated me by ordering delivery food instead of cooking something or making a sandwich; the kitchen here is FULL of food, just no cooked leftovers. Dora home after 11:45. Out after noon with Dora. To ATM, to bookstore to order schoolbooks for niece, to bank, to Dia for groceries, to fruit/veg shop. Cooked dinner. Out before 6 to language class; Dora out after 6 to work 7-1. Class turned out to be pretty hideous. Afterward, walked up to Tetuan and then over to Monumental. Home by 9:45, sweaty and tired and a bit discouraged. Dora home after 2, and she washed the pots that her son was supposed to wash after dinner, irritating. After 2, out to walk Dora to metro to work 3-11, and then I'm to Dia for groceries. Out before 6, to language class, not too bad today. Very light rain when we came out, so home after 9. Dora home after 11:30. Slept late. Headache; took a sumatriptan. Cooked dinner. Out with Dora to metro as she's off to work 3-11. Sat in plaza a bit, bought groceries and veg. Home, and I ate half a cannabis cookie. Loafed all afternoon and evening. Out for a late walk. Dora home by 11:45 or so. Out after noon with Dora. To a couple of optometrists, and it's the usual story: no, we can't just sell you new frames, your lens shape is odd/old/unavailable, so we have to sell you new lenses plus frames for €250 to €420 total. To beauty shop. To fruit/veg shop. Found tutor place for niece, the directions Dora had given me were totally wrong. Home, and cooked dinner. Headachey later; took a sumatriptan. Out with Dora at 10:30, to a cafe to watch a bit of the Barca game, then for a nice walk. Lovely cool evening. Lazy morning, back to bed for a while, feeling slightly headachey. Cooked dinner. Out for a nice sit and walk in the early evening. Out with Dora after 10 for a nice walk in the cool evening. Heard someone say that Real Madrid was playing, so we found a bar and had coffees and watched about half of the game (maybe this photo is from then, not sure: pic). Home before midnight. Slept badly (maybe because of the coffee) and headache around 1 AM; took a sumatriptan. Dora out after 11:30 to dentist. Back home, then out at after 2 to work 3-11.

Totally irritated with Dora's son. He refused to do any chores, just sits around all day watching video and eating. We made him wash dishes the last two days, so now he's refusing to eat with us, and he just bought his own food (using money from his grandmother, that we gave to her, I'm sure). 21 years old, very fat, lazy, childish.

Out before 6, to language class. A mixed bag. Only 3 students today. Trying to decide if I want to continue after this week; I think not. On each of the main subjects we've done in the last 2 months (pronouns, indirect object, reflexives, preterito perfecto, gerundios, preterito indefinido), I feel the fundamentals are eluding me. I can sort of do them, on paper, one at a time, but I haven't learned them.

Afterward, walked over to Media Markt near Placa Catalunya, then sat in the plaza for a while, home by 9:45. Dora home after 11:30. Between language class, Dora's son, and Dora buying expensive stuff in the pharmacy, I'm in a bad mood. With Dora to Dia for groceries. Dinner. Out before 6, to class. Class not too bad, learned some stuff, got a couple of questions mostly-answered. Changing my mind back a little; maybe I'll keep going with the class. Afterward, sat by Arc for a little while, then home, a few drops of rain. Out after noon to ATM, pharmacy, Dia. Cooked dinner. Out again to fruit/veg shop. Out before 6 to class, and Dora's son will go out soon to pick up her parents and niece from the bus station, and Dora will go out to work 7-1. Class was a mixed bag again, learned some stuff, confused by a lot. Instructor took a poll of who would continue again next month, and I said yes. Afterward, walked through Parc Ciutadella and then up to Marina metro. Slow ride to F-i-P, home by 9:45 or so. Said hi to parents and niece. Out before noon with Dora and her mother. To metro, to Vall d'Hebron hospital. Took a while to find the right laboratory, then the respiratory section. Done by 1:45, to cafeteria for food. Back to metro, stop at ATM, home after 3. Quick dinner.

Dora out with niece to dentist and see about a tutor then for school uniforms. I'm out before 6, to last language class of the month. Okay, not too bad. Out at 8:30, low dark clouds and a few drops of rain, to metro and home by 9:15. Niece needs all-new-everything for school, €300 of clothing to go with the €170 of books we ordered and another €150 or so of other stuff yet to be bought. A little rain around dawn, I think. Grey morning. Online, ordered 3 more schoolbooks (€111) for the niece. Out around noon. To 3 ATMs before I could get cash. To phone store and bought a case for niece's new tablet. To bookstore to order a Spanish textbook for me. To Caprabo and then Dia for groceries.

Out before 5:30 with Dora and niece. Delivered the niece to a lady for an hour of tutoring. Dora and I walked, which meant I had to wait as she shopped in several shoe-stores. Bought some items in Humana. To a cafe for coffee. Back to pick up the niece at 6:30. Stopped at fruit/veg shop. Dora bought an ice-cream cone for the niece, and we sat in a small plaza while she ate it.

Out for a late walk at 11 or so; pleasant. Dora out to work 11-11. After 12:15, her father and I took niece out to tutor. Would have been nice if someone had told me that the location had changed; we went to the wrong place first, and she ended up 5 minutes late. Got groceries and fruit.

Out after 5:30 with niece and Dora's mother. To El Corte Ingles, got a bit lost inside the place, found shoes for the niece for school. €50 for a pair she'll probably outgrow in 6 months !

To Mercadona for a few goodies, then home. Helped the niece make a pizza.

At 10:30, sudden emergency, rent on son's new apartment in Slovakia needs to be paid today, or he loses it. At first I start to send from my Spanish bank account, but then get Dora on WhatsApp and instead I send from one of her Spanish accounts. Also send money to her sister in the north.

Dora home before midnight. Dora out to work 11-11. I went out after noon to walk, and buy a bottle of soda. Out for a walk in early evening, to ATM, stopped in several shops looking to buy earbuds, didn't buy any. Out again after 8:30, walked and sat, lovely cool evening.

Didn't bother to find a bar to watch the Barca game tonight, but I should have: they beat Huesca 8-2 !

Dora home before midnight, and quickly to bed. I had a headache in early AM; took an ibuprofen-plus. Out at 10:30 or so, to a shop to buy earbuds, then to niece's school to pay €276 for two months, then to fruit/veg shop. Headache; took a sumatriptan. Out before noon to deliver niece to tutor, then to farmacia with Dora's father (he bought a stack of 6 boxes of medicine for €19; anti-biotics, ibuprofen, etc), then to Dia for groceries.

Out before 6, to language class. Seven students now, four of them unknown to me. And we've moved to the small classrom, maybe we can change that. Difficult lesson about por and para. Out, and strolled down to the big park and then across to Jaume I metro. Home by 9:30. Headache before dawn; took a sumatriptan. At 2, out with Dora to farmacia and metro, then she went to work 3-11 and I went to an ATM and to Dia for groceries. Amused the niece by asking her to proofread my Spanish homework.

Out at 5 to bookstore, and bought the Spanish textbook I ordered. Niece's books not arrived yet. Home again, then out before 6 to language class. Pretty discouraging class, in general. Strolled a bit afterward, in a bad mood. Street art: pics. Home by 9:30. Dora home at 11:45.

Headache; took a Dolocatil around 2 AM. Headache, but I'm waiting until after doctor's appt to take something for it. Out after 9:30 with Dora and son. To metro, connect, walk up hill to big Sanitas hospital Sima. Some confusion finding the right office, turns out Dora made my appointment in her name. In to see neurology doctor about my headaches. He speaks some English, I explained my symptoms and history. He prescribed amitriptyline daily, and a CAT scan (which I don't really want). I took a sumatriptan right after the consultation. Dora's son had two appointments. Then we're out, over to main building, into line to get new appointments. I'll get my CAT scan tomorrow (!), because this is private healthcare, not public. Coffees and snack, then onto bus, long slow ride home. Home by 2.

Out before 6. To farmacia to fill my prescription for amitriptyline (Tryptizol), which may prevent my headaches. Only €3 for 60 doses of 25 mg each, enough for 2 months.

To language class, and it's getting bad. Lots of speech and audio in the first 2/3, and I got little out of it. I said so at the break, and the teacher and one student pushed back at me for not studying enough and being pessimistic, respectively. Fair charges. Last 1/3 of the class, teacher introduced a new topic, and it's a nightmare. I already don't understand reverse sentences (reflexive or indirect object), and now we're doing double-reverse sentences: reverse both the direct object and indirect object, and replace both with pronouns.

Out at 8:30, sat for a while, home before 9:30. Dora is working 7-1 tonight.

Took an amitriptyline before bed. Pretty good thunder and rain before dawn. Headache; took a sumatriptan. Out before 11:45 with Dora. Metro and walk up to Sanitas Cima hospital, arrived at 12:30 for my 12:45 appointment. Had a CT-scan of my head, took only about 5 minutes, easy. Dora picked up some scan she had done about 7 months ago and forgot to pick up. Out by 12:45. Over a block or two and had a nice lunch. Lingered, then down to metro. Dora went to work 3-11, I headed home. Tired.

Told the language school I was stopping classes for a while. I need to regroup.

Rain after 5. Out for a walk before 8. Feeling tired. Out for a short walk after 11. To bed, and Dora home around 11:45. Headache; took a paracetamol-plus. Out at 11:30 to pick up niece. Then back out to Dia for groceries. Nap, then dinner. Still feeling tired. Out after 2 with Dora, to walk her to the metro to work 3-11. Sat in plaza, walked, went to two farmacias to buy flu-shots but no luck. To fruit/veg shop. Napped. Son and I took niece out to a small shop to buy €32 worth of notebooks and paper and colored pencils etc for school. Out later with the niece to buy a calculator battery and then a fancy eraser she wanted. Tried to go out again before 10, but it's raining. Mostly stopped by the time Dora got home, before 11:45. Dora up at 7:15 to go to a class, then realized it doesn't start until next Saturday, back to bed.

In the evening, out at 7 or so with Dora and niece. To optometrist, to see about getting niece's frames adjusted, and a new prescription and glasses for me. A bit of a circus, but finally got out with prices and a prescription. Met Dora's father, and we all went down F-i-P to our favorite coffee-pastry cafe, and had coffee and pastries and read the magazines and newspaper. Out and back up, and stopped in the bookstore to ask about order for niece's schoolbooks. Alarming news: they say the order wasn't placed because we didn't pay a deposit. So we hustle home to grab the receipt, and hustle back to the store. They're closing, but they let us in. Guy types in the computer, and finds that the order WAS placed, they have all but one book now, I can go buy them on Monday. A relief. Home around 9:15.

Feeling cold symptoms: sneezing, coughing, runny nose, slightly headachey. Slept badly. After dawn, took a paracetamol-plus, and that stopped the coughing and reduced the aching. Slept until 10:15. Dinner. Out after 2:30 with Dora for a walk, it's grey and humid and threatening rain, streets very quiet. Hit an ATM, otherwise nothing. Out again by myself around 7:30 for a nice walk. At 11, still headachey and some cold symptoms; took a paracetamol-plus. Some coughing during the night, but I slept well. Out at 11, to bookstore, picked up 5 or 6 schoolbooks for niece, paid €126. Home, then back out to Dia for groceries. Out for a walk in late afternoon. Out for another walk after 9:30. Dora home after 11:30. Dora's son left around dawn, to go back to medical school in Slovakia. Headache; took a sumatriptan. Dinner. Out for a walk in the afternoon. Out again after 7, with Dora and niece and parents. To a cafe in Heron City Center, for drinks and snacks and food for niece. Home again in time to watch most of first half of Spain - Croatia game, Spain 3-0 at halftime. Watched second half too, game ended Spain 6-0. Out at 11 for a late walk. Niece off to first day of school. I went out before noon, to shop to buy calculator battery, to niece's school to pay for 3 books (€111), to Dia for groceries, out again to buy Peru calling-card. Dinner, nap. Out after 6 with Dora, walked her to metro to work 7-1. I sat in plaza, walked a little, then rain started (but I had a folding umbrella). To Dia for groceries, pouring rain when I came out, to fruit/veg shop, home. Rained hard for a while. Out for a short walk around 10, but still occasional drops of rain. Headache before bed; took a sumatriptan. Dora home after 1:30, I think. Out in midafternoon for a sit and walk; warm out today. Out around 7:30 with Dora, to farmacia to ask about flu shots, to bookstore to ask about muissing textbook and buy some supplies, to a high-end furniture shop that was much too rich for my blood, to a fruit/veg shop, home. Bad headache after midnight; took a paracetamol-plus, that didn't help, took a sumatriptan, that worked. Out after noon, to ECI to mail a letter to USA, then to Mercadona for groceries. Dinner. Out for a walk and sit in plaza in midafternoon; warm. Out in early evening for a nice walk. With Dora, put adhesive covers on niece's schoolbooks. Out at 11 for a late-night walk. Dora out around 8 to go to a medical class 9-5. I loafed most of the day. Out for a walk in midafternoon, and groceries and fruit. Dora home after 5. Out for walk at 7, but skies grey and trying to rain. Dora out to work 11-11. I went out after 2, hit an ATM, then metro to her work to meet her for lunch at 3. But she couldn't get out, I waited 45+ minutes, finally she came out and said they made her eat inside. So we went to a cafe next door and she bought lunch for me and stayed 15 minutes before she had to go. I finished lunch and watched a bit of RCD Espanyol playing Levante on TV. Then I strolled across to La Rambla. Street art: pics. Up to Placa Catalunya. Loads of people but nothing really interesting. Into metro and home by 6, hot and sweaty. Shower and food. Out later for several walks, partly because it's cooler outside than inside. Met Dora at the metro before 11:45, coming home from work. Out with Dora after 10. Longish metro ride and connect, to big private hospital Sima. Picked up my CT scan results ("had a brain scan, results were negative"), then across the street to appointments with neurologist. Nothing new there, soon out, and down to El Corte Ingles for some shopping. Eventually out, and into metro. I'm tired and hungry, but Dora stops in a shop to buy some shoes. Home after 1:15. Feeling tired in the afternoon. Out at 5:30 to take niece to tutor and pay €100 for another 11 sessions. Out after 6 to walk and sit in VA plaza. Online, ordered a bunch of stuff for my brother to bring to Spain when he comes next month. Out later for a bit of walk and sit, and to fruit/veg shop. Pretty good rain three times before dawn. Out after noon to recharge SIMs for my phone and Dora's mother's phone, walk and sit, and then to Dia for groceries. Dinner. Dora out to work 3-11. I loafed. Out at 7 to buy a new printer cartridge and walk sit, then to Dia for groceries. Out after 11 to wait for Dora at the metro; home at 11:50. Out at 11:45 with Dora and her mother. To metro, to hospital, mother had a lung-scope or something. Lunch at the hospital cafe, home by 2:10. Dinner, nap. Walked Dora to metro after 6 to work 7-11. Sat in plaza, went to fruit/veg shop. Later out for a couple more walks. Gave myself a bit of a haircut. Online, sent money (€60) and information to lawyer for consultation about US and Spanish wills and inheritance. Dora out to work 3-11. Response from lawyer: it's going to take more than a 30-minute consult to answer your questions (expect to pay a lot more). Headache before noon; took a Neobrufen. Dora out to work 3-11. I went out at 8:30 or so, to center, to see some parades and fireworks and such as part of La Merce festival. Interesting, but I've seen it all before. Loads of people, so hard to take pictures. They were lighting up the cathedral with various colors, and there was a stage in front of it, and the moon over it: pic. Home by 10:30. Dora home by 11:45. A little headachey. Dora out before 8 to go to a class 9-5; home after 5. Online, bought train tickets for my brother and I to go to Valencia next month.

Out in the evening with Dora and her father and niece. To El Corte Ingles to buy two more school-uniform shirts for the niece (€33). To Mango where there was a big sale, and Dora (after much trying-on) had me buy 4 dresses for her (€35). To McDonald's, where the niece stuffed herself. Noisy place, lots of kids.

Home, then right back out with Dora and father. To a sports bar, to watch Real Madrid - RC Espanyol game. Saw 15 minutes of first half, and all of second half. Somewhat boring game, RM won 1-0, but it was nice to be out and watching it. Home after 10:45. Out in the evening with Dora and niece. Warm night. To a cafe to watch first half of Barca - Girona game. Barca seemed to dominate, but 1-1 at the half. Went to a playground for a while, walked, then home. Game ended 2-2.

Slept very badly; just couldn't sleep much. Holiday today. Dashed out to ATM to get cash so Dora's father could go buy roast chicken for dinner. Out in midafternoon for a walk with Dora and niece, to a couple of playgrounds and a cafe. Out by myself for more walks later. Quiet day. Windy all day, and cool in the evening. Still windy and cool; I guess fall is here.

In the mail, Tarjeta Rosa for Dora's father arrived; I sent his application on June 25.

Out before 12:45 with Dora and her mother. Into a taxi, and up to a medical center (driver cheated me €1 on the change, we were in a hurry and I didn't notice until too late). Soon had the medical appointment, then around the corner to a pharmacy. Bought a couple of inhalers and blood-pressure medicine, total of less than €4. To a kebab shop next door for lunch. Caught a bus, and home before 3.

Slightly headachey all day; finally took a paracetamol-plus after 5:30.

Dora out to work 7-1. Headachey at dawn; took a paracetamol-plus. Quiet day. Then out at 5:45 with Dora and her mother, to a parent's meeting at niece's school. Turned out they're changing to a new method of instruction, so a long presentation about that, in Catalan. Then a short tour of the new school building, starting with a 5-story climb up stairs from the basement to the rooftop exercise area. Eventually out, stopped at Dia and fruit/veg shop, then to an outdoor cafe for refreshments. Lingered, and home just before 9. Various errands and walks, nothing remarkable. Dora out at 8:15 to do class 9-5. Just before she went, she said a relative from Peru is arriving at 10. Wonderful.

We all went out to VA plaza around 10 (some group has put a baby-grand piano in the plaza and various people are playing it; pics), trying to find this relative. I had the wrong name for him, and no description. But eventually we found him and took him home. Later, I went out and bought chicken from the Peruvian place. Managed to exchange the bad printer cartridge for another, no receipt required, no hassle, I was amazed.

Jesus stayed all day, I thought waiting for Dora. She got home around 6. But turns out he's staying overnight, leaving early tomorrow morning.

But, but: later, I thought we would go to a bar to watch the Real Madrid game, but instead we're walking Jesus to the train station to go back to Terrassa, he's going to Madrid early tomorrow morning. Out with Dora, niece and Jesus. A circuitous route, going through Heron City Center, but we got to the train station at a convenient time and he caught an 8:40 train. Up F-i-P and to our favorite pastry-cafe with Dora and niece. Home before 9:30.

New printer cartridge works fine; printed several items that were backlogged. Dora out to work 11-11. I ate half of a cannabis cookie, loafed all day. Dora home before midnight. Headache; took a sumatriptan. Out with Dora after noon. To ATM, then niece's school to pay tuition and register/ask about various items. I hustled back home and cooked dinner. Out later to mail a letter (ballot) to USA, to niece's school to drop something off, to Caprabo for groceries, to fruit/veg shop. Later dashed out to buy another notebook for niece. Later, headache, took a paracetamol. Out with Dora at 11:45, metro to Diagonal, to lawyer's office. A little confusion inside the building, since there were two law firms listed on the directory and neither had any specific names on them, just "law group" and "Barcelona lawyers". But we got there, and soon had a 30-minute consultation with two lawyers about wills and inheritance and USA and Spain. Learned several surprising things, and even my simple affairs (no real estate, no children, no business) elicited a lot of "we'll have to get more info and study it more before we give you more answers, for more money".

Out, and soon found a restaurant for lunch. Food okay, a little disappointing. Dora is depressed (as she is after any encounter with a lawyer). But we're fine, we have good problems, not the "I have no money and I owe E200K" kind of problems some people have.

Out by 2:15 or so, and into Metro. Dora onto L3 to work, me onto L5 and home after 2:45.

Cool weather today. Wearing long pants and a long-sleeved fleece shirt. With sandals.

Dora home at 11:45, and says she has to go early tomorrow, she's working 8-8. Dora out at 7:15 to work 8-8. A quiet day, nice coolish weather, several walks, bought some groceries. Met Dora at metro at 8:30 or so, bringing a scarf for her, she has a sore throat and cold. Decided not to go to a bar to watch the Barca game; too bad, it should be a good game, against Tottenham. To bed by 11, early for us. I cooked dinner. Dora out to work 3-11. Various confusions after 5; niece's school went on a trip to Montserrat today, then she had her first dance class after school, we weren't sure where to pick her up. But it all was okay in the end. Met Dora at the metro after work, home before midnight. Online, bought train tickets for Dora to go to Valencia with my brother and me. She got a day off, so she can join us for 2 of the 3 days in Valencia.

Walked Dora to Llucmajor metro, so she can go to medical association and then to work 3-11. Loafed most of the day. Walked Dora home from the metro, home before midnight. Stayed up too late, I went to bed before 1, Dora later. And she's supposed to have class 9-5 tomorrow. Slept late and got up groggy. Dora out after 10 to her class. I had a headache before noon; took a sumatriptan. Various errands and walks. Lots of fun fiddling with iptables in Linux. Niece to tutor, and I paid again. Dora home at 7. Slight headache starting around 9, a little worse by noon, took a sumatriptan. Cooked dinner. Quiet afternoon. Went out for a walk but it's too cool for shorts and T-shirt.

Out after 8:30 with Dora and father and niece, to watch Barca game on TV. Our intended place was closed, two other places too crowded, down another place but game not on in there, bar across the street too small, found cafe with space and game. 6 minutes in, Barca down 0-1. But a good game, had sandwiches and coffees. Started raining hard outside. 1-1 at half. We went home, 4 of us sharing 2 umbrellas. Dora out before 10 to do a couple of errands, cancelling a couple of insurance policies. I went out briefly to buy ribs, everyone here is tired of chicken for dinner. Dora home after noon with newly-straightened hair. Online, bought tickets for her son to come here from medical school at Christmas.

After dinner, Dora out to work 3-11. I went out at 3:30 with Dora's niece and father. Occasional drops of rain, but skies only half-grey today. To F-i-P metro to use the photo booth to take a picture of the niece for school. Delivered niece to school. To Dia for groceries, home. Loafed the rest of the day. Out for walk in the late evening, then again to meet Dora at metro. Home after midnight. Brief heavy rain around 9. Slept late. Dora out in midafternoon to a class; I met her at metro after 5. Cool and very grey out, trying to rain.

Online, tried 4 times to buy bus tickets for 4 people to go to the north for Christmas. Payment failed each time. Not sure if the cause is my VPN, blockers in my browser, the two-factor authentication I just enabled on my PayPal account (but credit card failed too), or something else. Later disabled the VPN and tried twice more, once with PayPal, other time with credit card, no go.

Pretty strong rain after 8. Rainy and a bit windy the rest of the evening. Rain around 9-10. Online, still can't buy bus tickets with either credit-card or PayPal. Out to some stores for food. Walked Dora to metro to go to work 7-1. She arrived home before 2. Suddenly up at 8:30, and soon out the door with Dora. To F-i-P metro to pick up a couple arriving from Madrid, originally from Peru. Brought them back to the apartment by 9:15 or so. I went back to bed while they all chatted. After 11, I skipped my exercise and hustled through a shower so I could take them on a tour, then found we had to wait to get a phone fixed. Probably Dora is coming along, although she got only about 5 hours of sleep last night. The visitors want to take the tourist bus, but it's very expensive.

Online, still can't buy bus tickets (tried a different browser), both credit-card and PayPal say there is no problem on their end.

Out after 12:30, Dora and Homero and Joesfina and me. To F-i-P and onto L1 metro, and to Arc de Triomf. Beautiful sunny day. The visitors enjoyed the arc and the promenade through it, then we went down to Parc Cuitadella and the big fountain there, and the mammoth statue. Walked across to Born CC. Then more into Born, and found a restaurant near Santa Maria del Mar church. Food was reasonably good, and the four of us split a bottle of red wine, not usual for Dora and me.

Out of the restaurant, wobbling a little, and across to Placa del Rey and then the cathedral. Up Placa Angel, over to La Rambla, up to corner of Placa Catalunya. And got stuck there, sitting on a nice bench, drinking bottles of water. I wanted to go home, but Dora wanted to talk. So we sat.

Eventually across the placa, in to metro, standing-room only to get back to F-i-P. Walked home, and I'm tired. In after 6:15.

Visitors have 60 GB of photos and video on a GoPro, and it's full. I try to move it to a hard disk for them, but their hard disk has errors, won't work on my laptop (Linux) or Dora's (Windows). I copy everything to my disk, and empty the GoPro so they can take more tomorrow. Today is a holiday in Spain. Slept late. Visitors were out fairly early. In the evening, went out to feria in VA plaza with Dora and niece. They went on a train ride, we bought churros and a hotdog, then home. Visitors home around 9:30. I copied their 60 GB of photos and video to a USB stick they've bought. Sounds like they rode the tourist-bus today (for €25 or €30 apiece !), and ran into a trucker's strike that clogged streets. Visitors left around 6:30, catching a 9:45 plane to Rome. I have a headache; took a sumatriptan. Dora out to work 11-11. Rain starting at noon (remnants of Hurricane Leslie, apparently). Feeling tired because of the pill. Later it was sunny, out for shopping and walks. Strong headache; took a sumatriptan, and later a Neobrufen. Dora out to work 11-11. Pretty heavy rain around 10:30. Went out in early afternoon. Raining all evening. Walked to metro through rain and wind, carrying extra umbrella, to meet Dora coming home. In after 11:30 Raining hard by midnight. Dora out before 1, to dentist. I'm out before 1:30, to join her briefly in a coffee-shop. She's happy the braces on her upper teeth have been removed; she keeps smiling to show them off.

To metro with Dora, and to Estacio Nord bus station. Through a line, guy typed forever to do the tickets, but he did the tickets I was unable to do online, and somehow for €263 instead of €375. Dora said a bunch of things about her son having student ID and also a Tarjeta Joven; maybe that did it.

Back into metro, and to Plaza Espanya, onto a train, 3 stops to Europa Fira stop, out, and 1 block to IKEA. We're here to buy a wardrobe, but Dora is in heaven, she sees lots of stuff to buy. By the time we get through the ground floor, we've accumulated as much as we can carry home.

We stash the cart and go upstairs to look at wardrobes. There's about 30 choices, with all the details and add-ons for each one. We choose a big one for Dora and a smaller for her niece, then take a number and wait 5+ minutes for an agent. He has to specify every detail, it takes 20 minutes, there are more choices to make. Finally done, total €662 including delivery, I'll do the assembly.

Go downstairs, retrieve our cart, through check-out, total is €726. Fortunately my credit-card works.

Out, and to the train, each of us hauling a bag of stuff. To Placa Espanya, and it's rush-hour. Standing room only and crowded on the metro. Finally to F-i-P, walk home, tired and sweaty and footsore.

Home after 7. Dump the stuff and into the shower. And the next time I look at the bedrooms, I think "geez, they're small, how are we going to fit the wardrobes into them ?"

Out later to Dia for groceries, and again to fruit shop.

Put together a smallish reading-lamp we bought, and Dora's father says "oh, I have one of those in a box somewhere". Great. Spent 45 minutes or so moving furniture around and cleaning, accompanied by some short tempers, to make room for the new stuff arriving this afternoon.

Delivery truck arrived at 12:40, with many tall, heavy boxes. A couple of strong guys carried it in, and now it's my problem to assemble it.

Dora's mother delayed at banks, so I cooked chicken for dinner and heated water for the spaghetti she had laid out. But when she came in, she'd bought a roast chicken at Dia, so we had that instead.

Looking at the boxes in our bedroom, and there's no single set of instructions, you have to sort of figure it out box by box. And the main 3 or 4 boxes are HEAVY.

Dora out to work 3-11.

I put in several good hours of work on the new wardrobe, a little help from Dora's father at key points, called it quits at 8:45, looking fairly good. It's huge and heavy, barely fits into the room, and we'll have to disassemble it to get it out if we move. Haven't yet put on the doors and some of the drawers, and I really should drill holes and bolt the two pieces of it together. Pic.

Out after 10 for a walk. Out again around 11:30 to meet Dora at the metro. Slept very late; up at 10:30. With help from Dora, put together 5 more drawers and put them onto the wardrobe. Just before quitting for dinner, we looked at the doors, and found that the mirror-door is broken, we can see the crack in it. And I pointed out a big divot in the edge of the box to the delivery guy yesterday, and he said it was no problem. But we didn't look closely enough. He cheated us.

Napped a little. Headache in the afternoon; took a sumatriptan.

Dora called IKEA, and they say bring the broken door back and maybe they'll replace it. But we'd have to take it back in a truck, it would cost us €40 or more.

I put the two wood doors onto the wardrobe, with help from Dora. Figure out that I should have installed rails to hold the wire baskets at the bottom of the wardrobe, and fortunately I'm able to install them without having to move all the drawers up one level or something.

We open the box of the mirrored-door, and the glass is cracked only on one end, not all the way down as I'd feared. And the wood is undamaged. So I use lots of clear packing tape to cover the cracked part. Dora is not happy. But we install the door, which turns out be a major pain, it's heavier and the other doors and has a different kind of hinges. But we get it in. Pics. Then I tape pictures of flowers over the cracked part; Dora can't bear to look at cracked glass or mirror, apparently.

So, 99% done. I need a drill to put on the door-handles on the wood doors, and really I should drill and bolt the 2/3 part to the 1/3 part. But that can wait.

Later, into the "extra" bedroom, and rotate the bed to make more space. Probably still not enough to hold the other armario we bought.

Dora out to work 7-1. I loafed. Later opened the boxes for the second, smaller, cheaper wardrobe and started figuring it out. Tomorrow's job. Went out for a late-night walk. Dora home before 2. Started working on the 2nd wardrobe around 11:15. A little trouble getting oriented, then I got it going and soon had the big pieces together. Nailing on the thin back pieces was a pain.

Headache; took a sumatriptan. Heavy rain starting at noon. More rain later.

Got it together, Dora and I slid it over into the "spare bedroom", and it wouldn't fit into place ! I measured this last night with one of the main cross-pieces, it should work. Part of the problem is that the door-molding is sticking out an extra half-inch, but we're off by more than that.

Finally we move the bed-frame a little, push the mattresses hard, push on the wardrobe, and slide it into place. Not 1/4 inch to spare, it's pressed against the mattresses. But it's in. Install hanger-bar and three shelves, done by 12:45. Will put the doors on later.

Dora out to work 3-11. I went out a couple of times to food shops, until cold grey skies.

Later, put the doors onto the white wardrobe. So that one's finished. Pics.

To VA metro to meet Dora; weather windy and a little cool. Home by 11:45. Feeling achey; took a Neobrufen. Online, find out my brother's plane left 2 hours and 40 minutes late from Newark, but they don't give an estimated arrival time here.

Opening boxes we brought from Jerez, and moving stuff into the new wardrobes etc. Turned into a huge operation, frayed tempers. Finally got it out of control, but running out of time. Showers, and then we're out the door after 1 to buy sheets for the bed my brother will use. I make a U-turn and go back when I realize I forgot to measure the mattress. WhatsApp the numbers to Dora, go to meet her in the store, but she's not in the store I went to. Gave up, went home, ate dinner. Dore sent her father back with sheets and towels and pillowcases, and went on to work 3-11.

I hurried and went out at 2. Hustled to F-i-P metro, to Clot, onto train to airport. Onto shuttle-bus to terminal 1, where international flights land, got there, flight is not on the board. At first I assume it's just arriving later than I expected, but eventually I ask at Information, and turns out I should have stayed at the other terminal. Shuttle-bus back to terminal 2, locate the T2A building I've never been to before, and there's my brother. He had to wait about half an hour; I would have been right on time if I hadn't gone to the wrong terminal.

To train (no waiting), back to Clot, metro to F-i-P, home after 5. My brother is pretty tired. I get his room set, Dora's mother gives us food, we relax for a while. Rain starting at 6. By 7, my brother is falling asleep, and goes to bed.

Dora has left a 3-foot-high heap of clothing on our bed and more around the room; I start trying to sort and stash that so we'll be able to get into bed tonight.

Out around 7:30 to buy schoolbook for niece, shop for Halloween stuff, and get groceries and fruit. Out at 11:15 to meet Dora at the metro, through light rain. Dora supposed to get up at 7:30 to go to class 9-5, but she's sleeping late. She's up at 10, then out to her class until 5.

My brother and I went out around noon. Up to Llucmajor metro, long standing ride to Barceloneta, out with a crowd. Looked for a street-fair that's supposed to be outside Estacio Franca, but no sign of it. Down towards the beach, found a sidewalk cafe. As we were looking at the sign for the menu del dia, a guy changed the price from 12.95 to 15.95. In anyway, and settled in for lunch.

I had fish soup followed by grilled fish. My brother had grilled sardines and a lamb chop. For dessert I had crema catalana and my brother had panacotta. Glasses of sangria. Nice. Pics.

Strolled down to the beach, and along it to Port Olympic. Lots of people out, lovely sunny day (after a grey morning). To Ciutadella metro, and home before 5.

Napped, loafed. Dora home after 8.

Out at 8:30 with Dora, niece, father, and my brother. To a clothing shop so Dora can exchange something, then to our usual cafe to watch the Barca game on TV. But they're not showing it; I guess they changed their cable. Down to another place, got settled at a table, 4 minutes into the game and Barca is leading Sevilla 1-0 already. A nice goal by Messi, and it's 2-0. But then Messi goes down with a bad arm injury, and he's out and off to the hospital.

We stay through halftime and 10 minutes into the second half, eating patatas brava, fried chicken, croquetes, and a frankfurter plate for the niece. Then home. Game ended Barca 4-2. Messi has a hyperextended elbow, which is what I thought at the time; Dora diagnosed it as a fracture. [Later found out I was wrong, she was right: fracture in the radial bone, out for 2-4 weeks.] Around 12:30, six of us out the door. Took forever to get Dora's mother out the door, she takes a long time to get ready. They stopped on the street for pictures with my brother: pics. To VA metro, and to Sagrada Familia. Out and into the park, but no sign of the festival that's supposed to be here.

We rest and take pictures (pics), and find out the activities are in the other park on the other side of the basilica. We go over there, and our timing is good. We see one group of castellers start to make a human pyramid, then stop and take it down and talk for a bit. Then they try again, and get seven levels high, with no mishap.

Up a street, and start looking for a restaurant. We go several blocks and finally find a nice sidewalk cafe with the usual Catalan-type food. We eat and drink and enjoy ourselves. Pics.

Out of there, go about 100 yards to the scenic street that runs down to Sagrada Familia, and sit on benches for a while. Pleasant. My brother buys an ice-cream for the niece, and after she eats half of it somehow it gets dropped on the ground and her foot.

Wander down to the basilica, nothing much happening. Into metro, out at VA, stop at a cafe for more snacks to go, home by 4:30 or so.

Out before 8 with Dora and niece, into park to kick a football (mostly a fiasco) and walk a bit. When they went home, I went out for a real walk. Lovely evening.



Trip to Valencia:


Out at 5:45 or so with Dora and sister and father, to go pick up niece from dance class. I divert briefly to hit an ATM. We get to the dance studio, but really no way to see in, see what they're doing. Eventually they all come out. We head home, but Dora and I stop in a Latin food store, then in a farmacia to buy flu shots (€88 for 6), then at the tutor to pay another 11 hours (€100). Out with my brother before 9. To F-i-P metro, to Clot, and caught a train heading north. Long trip, 2 hours and 10 minutes, to Figueres up near the French border. Out and followed the crowd into town. The Google Map I printed is useless, and my memory of this place is hazy. But there were good signs for tourists, although we never did find any of the Tourist Info places they pointed to.

But we found the Dali museum, and had lunch a block away in a cafe out in the plaza. I had pepperoni pizza, my brother had tapas. Nice and relaxing.

Eventually over to the museum, a little early for our 1:30 entrance time. Wandered a little, took photos, and then in. A bit crowded, but with the new assigned-entrance-time system, a lot less crowded than it was a couple of years ago when Dora and I were here.

Nice art, but strange. Nice jewelry collection, but not as big as I remember from before. Pics. Out, a little shopping in the gift-shop, then started heading for the train station. We're both a bit tired. There's at least one more museum in town, but we've had enough.

To the station 15-20 minutes early. A bit of a struggle with a ticket-machine. The train is waiting open on the track, so we went right aboard and sat down.

Long trip home, although this train is 20+ minutes faster than the morning train. I dozed, and took a Neobrufen. Arrived at Clot, to metro, 3 stops to F-i-P, walked home.

Home at 6, tired and a bit hungry. Dora stuck me with a flu shot, then into the shower, then some food.

Four of us out at 8 or so, Dora and sister and my brother and me, ended up in a bar in HCC having tapas and sangria and a Zoco (pacharon) for me. A pleasant time, talking about family and places etc. Pics. Back home by 9:30, all feeling sleepy. Dark grey, cool, very rainy morning. Headache; took a sumatriptan. Heavy rain at 8 and 9:30 or so. Back to bed for a bit. Dora out at 10:15 to go to class 11-6:30, I think.

Out with my brother after 11. Rain, umbrellas. To donation box and deposited a shirt that doesn't fit me. To El Corte Ingles to look at laptops. To a coffee-shop for coffees and pastries. To Dia for groceries. Met niece and sister and mother on the street, all of us heading home. Still raining steadily. Home by 12:45.

Dinner, and then my brother and I out into the rain before 2:30. Long slog to F-i-P metro, then a couple of delays, made it to Clot and then the train entrance with about 2 minutes to spare. But even if he'd missed that train, there will be two more in the next hour before he has to start worrying about missing his flight back to USA.

Back to metro, slogged home through steady rain, stopping to buy fruit.

Dora home after 7, tired and cold. End of Daylight Savings, so we got an extra hour of sleep. Cold, grey, rainy morning. Dora out at 10 to work 11-11. I went out for a walk after 3, and it's cold out. Back home, and the Barca-Madrid game is not on our TV. Don't feel like going out and finding a bar to watch it. Barca (without Messi) clobbered Madrid 5-1. Quiet evening. Dora home at 11:45. Cold, grey, windy morning. Out around 11:30. To ATM for cash, then to niece's school to hand most of it over (€179 for monthly tuition and an annual parents-association fee, €100 for deposit on a school trip in June). [Confusing, didn't get receipts for all of it. Later Dora called and made sure it was okay.] To Dia for groceries, then home.

Cooked dinner for everyone.

Out after 7, into cold and wind. To ATMs, but they won't give me more today. To Dia for groceries.

There was a huge anti-drug operation by the police near Dora's clinic today, and they probably brought the suspects there to be checked before booking them into jail. Good thing Dora had the day off. Cold morning, but not windy and not so grey. Later, sunny.

Out at 9:15 with Dora. To notario in VA plaza. Talked to a lady who only spoke Spanish, about marriage financial agreement and will and inheritance taxes. Answers not much clearer than what we got from the lawyers a couple of weeks ago, and some of them contradicted what the lawyers said. Told her to do the financial agreement, we'll come back next week to start the will.

Down to Meridiana to one bank (shut down), across to another, and they say Dora needs to bring a certain document. Stop at a fruit shop, home by 11:30.

I cooked spaghetti al carbonara (first time I tried it) for dinner, because the niece had requested it. She loved it, the rest of us thought it was okay. Made way too much spaghetti. And Dora didn't have any, she was running out of time to go to work. She went out to work 3-11.

Out for a bit of a walk and sit in the sunshine. Home, replaced a lightbulb in our bedroom. Afternoon turning greyer and colder.

Headachey in the evening; took a paracetamol. Dora home at 11:30.

Heavy rain starting at 3 AM or so, I think. Cold, grey, rainy morning. Dora and sister out for 8:30 appointment with niece's teacher. They're back at 10:15, and about 10 minutes later the skies opened and rain started pouring. Still pouring at 11:15 when Dora went back out to a doctor's appt. I had to go out on the back balcony to fix the cover over some suitcases, and just afterward the rain got much lighter. But soon pouring again. Sunny by 12:30.

Lots of Halloween-costuming stuff going on with the niece. Dinner. Then Dora and sister take niece to school. Rain starts pouring down, some lightning and thunder, while Dora and sister are still out. Soon eased up.

Out before 5 with Dora and her sister, and I'm in costume: shiny red cape and a spectacular jester's mask from Italy. I'm wearing the mask and can't wear my glasses, so I have to be careful at curbs and crosswalks and such. But we get to the niece's school okay. A lot of kids are impressed by my costume.

Soon over to the new school building a block away, where there's a party. We're all in the parking/open area under the school building, and it's crowded and noisy. I have to take off my mask to make my way in, but then I put it back on and stand at the edge. Soon some small kids are shooting me with toy guns and trying to talk to me a little.

Dora is too shy to put on the costume she brought, an aqua wig and long green fingers. We mill around, she buys me a couple of nice brownies. Sister and niece are waiting to get into some kind of haunted-house thing. After a while, we head for the door. Stop to talk to the niece and friends, and her friends are excited to hear that I speak English. I tell them the niece doesn't want to speak English with me at home, which is mostly true (she doesn't want to study it with me). Soon we're out.

To butcher shop to buy a lot of meat, then to fruit shop, then home by 6:30. No rain the whole time we were out, very nice. Take some pictures of ourselves in costume, then take them off and relax. Pics. Niece and sister didn't get home until almost 8:30.

And literally at midnight, with the sister leaving early tomorrow morning, she says please copy 1000 photos from her phone to her USB drive. We couldn't have done this 3 days ago, at a normal hour ? Her first USB drive shows as read-only on my laptop (Linux), so switch to Dora's laptop (Windows). There, writing to it seems to start okay, then fails, then nothing was written. Switch to another USB drive, spend 45 minutes or so copying two batches of photos. To bed around 1 AM. Dora's sister left, back to the south. Sunny morning. I have a bad headache, took a sumatriptan. Feeling okay by noon or so.

Big portions of ribs for dinner; yum. Out afterward to walk and buy a few things; cool but no wind and a bit sunny, so nice.

In the evening, as Dora's sister had asked, I wrote up a list of 15 spelling words in English for the niece to learn, and gave them to her. As I expected, she blew up. Tore up the paper, started yelling, Dora started yelling back at her, Dora's mother called Dora's sister on the phone, etc. I took the opportunity to go out for a long walk. When I came back, they had quieted down and Dora was teaching English to the niece. I helped a bit for a while. Holiday, mostly. Quiet morning. Out in midafternoon. To a farmacia, and the 60 pills of amitryptyline 25 mg that cost me €2.50 or so at one farmacia 2 months ago cost me €0.22 today. Walked, then to Dia for groceries.

Out in the evening to buy calling-cards, look in ferreteria, buy more groceries in Dia. Sidewalks too crowded for comfort.

Bad headache around 1 AM; took a sumatriptan. Dora out at 10:45 to go to class all day. I went out at 12:30 to stores.

A struggle to get the niece out the door to the tutor at 6. Dora home shortly after and continuing the argument about handling the niece.

No energy to go to a bar to watch the Barca game. Too bad, Barca won 3-2, must have been an exciting game. Slept until almost 10:45. Slight headache, worse by noon, took a Neobrufen. At 2, took a sumatriptan. Out for a walk.

My smartphone seems to have died overnight. Gets halfway through booting and then wedges. Worked on it, took out SIM and SD cards, battery out and in, into recovery menu and cleared cache, with and without cable to PC, no go. It starts, logo, asks for my PIN, "starting Android", logo, then no further. At one point, got into a menu that was all-Chinese except for one item "English - factory reset)" with no obvious Back item; I powered down to get out of that one.

But eventually I gave up and did a factory reset. Fortunately, the phone was connected to Google and the apps are being re-installed automatically. And I didn't keep much on the phone in terms of contacts or pictures. But I'm sure I'll have to repopulate some app data manually: TOTP app data, password manager app data.

Surprised: phone didn't restore my Contacts and Whatsapp contacts automatically, but my TOTP app (andOTP) database was restored automatically.

Dora studying all evening. I have to kick her to start studying, but once she starts, she doesn't stop. Didn't get to bed until 1 last night. This morning, headachey and slept until 11. Dora went to bed at 2 and got up before 9, and is studying.

Took a sumatriptan around noon.

Out in late afternoon to Dia for groceries. Weather grey and dark and getting colder.

Out at 5:45 with Dora and her mother. To medical clinic, just in time for 6:10 appointment, but they were running 30 minutes behind. Finally out, and it's raining, but I brought umbrellas. Walk toward home, first stopping in a farmacia, then in Mercadona. Then Dora's mother went home, and Dora and I went into ECI to buy a mat for the shower. Home by 8:30. Quiet day. Out for some groceries. Dora studying in afternoon and evening. Out with Dora and niece at 9, to cafe to watch first half of Barca - Inter game. Barca with lots of chances but couldn't score. Home after 10. Later game ended 1-1, which means Barca goes through to next stage of tournament. Headache; took a sumatriptan. Around 11, back to bed for a nap. Quiet day, Dora studying and me computing. Quiet day. Out in late afternoon to Dia for groceries. Out in evening to ATM, then to ECI and bought a drill and smoke-alarms, then to fruit shop. Dora studying. Headache; took a sumatriptan. Wet, cold morning.

Out with Dora, and to our 11 AM appointment at notario. Had to wait, then into a room and wait some more. Finally the big guy arrived, lots of rapid-fire Spanish between him and Dora, we signed the "marriage regimen" document, made an appointment to do a will, soon out. Home by 12:30 under threatening skies.

Out at 3 or so. Grey skies, cool and windy. To ECI. Paid water bill, bought shower mat, looked for fire extinguisher but they don't sell them. To Mercadona for groceries. Slept late. Dora out after 10 to class. After noon, niece and mother went out to McDonald's or something. Father and I had a quick dinner. I went out for a walk and to Dia for groceries. Then opened up the new drill and installed two smoke-detectors. Hard to install because the walls are something like 3/8" plaster over concrete. But they're in. Dora home before 3:45; the rest of today's class wasn't going to be too useful.

Headache in the early evening; took a paracetamol-plus and had a nap, but still have slight headache. Quiet day. At lunch, I had Dora ask her parents and niece if they knew the emergency phone numbers for ambulance and police. None of them knew either of the numbers. So I wrote the words and numbers on a big label on the landline phone.

Out at 4 with Dora and father. To a cafe a block away to watch first half of Barca - Real Betis game. Barca looked terrific for the first 15 minutes or so, then it was all Real Betis. Barca losing 0-2 at half. We went to some shops, then home.

Stayed up until 1 AM for some reason. Dora studying until well after 2, I think. Up at 9, breakfast, then back to bed for a while.

Dora on a new diet, so I have to rush out twice to stores to buy a long list of vegetables and fruits. Out again later for printer paper and some other stuff. Dora studying hard in the evening. In midafternoon, I installed door-handles on the wardrobe in our bedroom, only making one small mistake that's on the inside and hardly visible.

Later, walked to Hipercor, but they don't sell fire extinguishers. Look at laptops a bit, I'm going to buy a new one in the next few months. On Amazon.es, ordered a 6 KG powder ABC fire-extinguisher for €32 all included. Also looked at laptops, but the local stores have better prices. In midafternoon, out to ATM, for a walk, and to buy food. Nice walk in the late evening, too. Heavy rain starting at 4:45 AM, lasting for half an hour. Then rain, heavy at times, all morning. Very grey. Stopped after noon. In midafternoon, out to Dia for groceries under threatening skies. Back home, and Dora measured my blood pressure, three readings that bounced around a bit but averaged out to 120/80. Pretty good thunder at 4, then heavy rain until 8 or so, not really stopping until after 10.

Watched Spain - Croatia football game on TV; Spain showed same lack of attack they had in last World Cup, but did better than I expected, only lost 3-2. Cool, fairly clear morning. Out with Dora to 9:30 appointment at notario. Picked up marriage-regimen document, paid €67. Sat with an assistant and gave information to do a Spanish will.

To a pharmacy. To bookstore. To carnisseria. To fruit/veg shop. Home by 10:30. Light rain starting at noon.

Had to prod Dora to start studying after 4, but once she got going, she kept going most of the evening. I went to bed at 12:30; she went to bed at 4:45 AM ! Up at 9:45, and amazed to see Dora get up at same time and stay up.

Niece went to tutor at 12:30, but ducked out early, triggering a big shouting match with Dora, so lunch was a tense affair with Dora staying in her room and niece soon leaving the table. Out in late afternoon for a brief walk and to buy groceries; cool and damp and grey out. Headache in early evening; took a paracetamol-plus. Headache; took a sumatriptan. Up at 9:45. Light rain by 11:30, heavy rain by 12:45. Rained off and on all day. Out at 7:30 for a walk, cold and damp and lots of wet leaves everywhere. Watched much of the Spain - Bosnia football game on TV, Spain won 1-0. Headache; took a paracetamol-plus. Fire-extinguisher delivered; it's big. Headache by 11:30, took a sumatriptan and a nap, felt weak.

Out with Dora at 4:15. Brisk walk to her dental appointment, then I kept walking a little and went to Dia and fruit shop. Last night, Dora said we had an appointment at the notario for 9:30 this morning, so we hustled to get there. As I thought, we didn't have an appointment, the guy had just said "Tuesday". So they gave us an appointment for 5:30. Back to home.

Quiet day, weather getting greyer, Dora doing a fair amount of studying.

Out with Dora to 5:30 appointment. Had to wait about 40 minutes, then in to the assistant, he typed some missing full names into the will, printed it. Wait a little, then in to the big guy, the notario. He hit the high notes in about 2 minutes flat, I signed, out to the front desk. Paid €48, got a copy of the will, done.

Stopped at bookstore on the way home, in before 7:30.

Dora studied from 8:30 or so until far into the AM, maybe 3 or 4 AM. Quiet day, weather clear but colder. I did a lot of computing, Dora a lot of studying. But she's burning out on the studying. Headache in late evening; took a sumatriptan, and we're in bed by 11. Quiet day. Dora studying, me computing. I've been doing a little programming project on GitHub: linkcheckerhtml. It's a major rework/update/change of someone else's project, in about 4 environments I've never really used before (VS Code, Typescript, Node, GitHub), so it's slow going.

Headache in the middle of the night; took a sumatriptan. Rain starting at 11. Out a couple of times during the day. Cold and damp in the evening. I thought Dora's big test was tomorrow, but it's on Sunday. Headache before dawn; took a paracetamol-plus. Quiet day. Dora studying hard since about 11:30. I got my programming project working fairly well; now to enhance it. In the late evening, Dora managed spill a cup of tea all over her table, but fortunately her books and papers mostly escaped the flood. After about 5 hours of sleep, Dora out at 7:45 to take her test. She had a 2-hour section in the morning, then a 20-minute section (60 questions) and 30-minute section in the afternoon, and out. She was home by 3:15. Thinks she did fairly well. (She says they were told to turn off their phones, someone forgot and the phone rang during the test, that person was failed for that section.)

Out in early evening with Dora and niece. Nice long walk, but a bit nippy, then started looking for a cafe. Ended up in several clothing shops instead, eventually Dora bought a shirt. More looking for a cafe, finally ended up in our usual place, La Boheme. Came out and the Christmas lights were on and the wind had stopped; nice. Home by 7 or so. Headache; took a sumatriptan. Cold, grey, rainy morning. Started taking 50 mg of amitriptyline daily, up from 25. Dora out at 7:30 to go to an 8-10 medical class, then to hair salon. Home for dinner, then out to work 3-11. Quiet evening. Dora home after 11:30. Dora working 7-1 tonight. Dora working 3-11. I nailed a nasty bug in the software project I'm working on, so now it's looking good. In the evening, announced availability of my project (a VS Code extension for checking links in HTML files: linkcheckerhtml). Dora out at 9:45 or so, to a congress and then to work 3-11. Published my extension in the Microsoft VS Marketplace. A fiasco waiting for Dora at the Metro, she slipped past me somehow, got home, had to come back and look for me. But it's interesting, stand in the Metro for 20 minutes and you're guaranteed to see someone cheating the turnstiles. Dora out at 8 or so to the congress. Quiet day. Getting ready to go out to join Dora, I managed to break my eyeglass frames (which have been failing for a while). Trying to glue them. Failed.

Out after 5, glasses on but with only one side-piece. To ATM, then to VA metro. To Sants Estacio, connect, then to Maria Cristina. Out, start walking down Diagonal looking for the address, got totally confused. Must be on other side from where Google Maps said, went across, back, into Hilton to ask directions, they said it was far. Long walk down to 574, got there, wrong place, Dora called and said address was 547. Looked at the messages she sent me a couple of days ago, and I had it wrong, should have been 547. Long walk 3/4 of the way back. No Dora, up and down at thr auditorium, called her, met her at the door. Felt stupid. In and used bathroom and sat for a bit, and she said we have to take a taxi to the dinner, it's not here.

So out and into taxi and up onto Montjuic to Esferic Barcelona. Spectacular small conference center which I completely failed to take a picture of. Sat through a medical lecture for 90 minutes or so; I could read the slides but listened to my MP3 player instead of listening to the talks.

Downstairs, and a long dinner, very nice, lots of courses of two or three morsels each. Wine and cava. Desserts.

Out, and caught a taxi down to Placa Espanya, and into the metro. Surprised to see it's midnight-thirty. Home after 1 AM. Dora out after 9, back to the congress. I went back to bed for a while. Dora home after 3. Out in the evening with Dora and niece, to a cafe and then a playground. Out at 11:30. To ATM. To niece's school to pay fees, always more than I expect, and I have to go back later for change. To Caprabo for groceries.

Home, and back out after noon with Dora. To bookstore, then dentist, then bookstore again. Home, quick dinner, then she's out to work 3-11. I'm out again after 3. To niece's school to get my change, and instead of €3 they tried to give me €20, but we got that straightened out. To Dia for groceries.

Bad headache in the evening, took sumatriptan. Dora home after 11:30. With Dora, out to eyeglass shop after noon, but the right assistant wasn't there, the one who was going to give us a big discount last time. So we'll try again tomorrow evening. To fruit/veg shop. Later out again for Christmas cards and groceries. Put up the plastic Christmas tree, out on the balcony. Headache during the night; took a paracetamol. Still headache at 9; took a sumatriptan. Out at noon, to ATM (broken), and to ECI to mail Christmas cards and to buy printer ink cartridges.

Out before 6 with Dora. To optometrist. Ordered a pair of glasses each for the two of us, total €329, should be ready in 7-10 days. Dora off to work 7-1.

Out again to buy Christmas lights, and to butcher to buy some ribs. Home, and put the lights and a star on the tree. Holiday here today, it's Constitution Day in Spain.

Out in midafternoon for a walk with Dora and niece. A bit cold out, and of course we stopped in a cafe, so not much exercise. Quiet day. Out in midafternoon to walk and do fruit shop; chilly out. Watched Juventus - Inter de Milan on TV. Dora out to work 11-11. Quiet day. Cold out, went out once to mail Christmas cards and walk. Dora home after 11:30. A struggle to get Dora out of bed, especially because she has to go vote at Peruvian embassy before going to work. I went out in midafternoon; a little chilly. Out at 5 to walk niece to a friend's house, and the wind has gone, it's quite nice out. Dora home after 11:30, and stayed up late. Slow morning, up for a while then back to bed. Out several times in afternoon and evening, to mail letter, buy groceries, buy fruit/veg. In late evening, Dora and niece singing Christmas songs together, niece has to practice for a school concert. Dora out to a class in the morning. I'm out after 11. To ATM. To niece's school, where there was some issue about a bill I paid last week. They say that's all cleared up, but relieved me of another €68 for dance lessons, again without a receipt. Have to get that fixed somehow.

Into metro, connect, out at Drassanes. Walk a few blocks to registro. A little confusion, but finally they took our notarized marriage-finances document to send to registry in Jerez.

Out, wandered and dawdled a little, then to a hotel on Parallel to meet a guy from USA. I was early, waited, and he and Dora arrived within a couple of minutes of each other. We chatted, then to a restaurant for lunch. Nice chat about Spain and USA etc. Dora left to go to work 3-11. The guy and I lingered for dessert, strolled a little, then he had to go do some phone calls. I went into metro, connect, home by 4.

Cold evening. Dora home at 11:30. Quiet day, cool out, did various errands and shopping. Walked Dora to metro so she could go work 7-1, then I did some more shopping. Quiet evening. Dora home after 1:30, I think. Out after 11:30 to buy present for the niece, and wrapping paper, and Christmas cards. Got home, and Dora wanted to wait until Christmas to give it to niece, which I knew wouldn't fly. I cooked dinner (ribs, pesto-spaghetti, salad). Niece soon opened her present, and it's a bit like Trivial Pursuit, in Spanish of course. I played it with her, and it's challenging my ability to understand spoken Spanish (which is a good thing).

Rainy in the middle of the day. Niece cold and tired when she got home from school-followed-by-dance-class, and later in the evening she had a sore throat.

Dora home before midnight. Niece is staying home from school with a cold and sore throat.

Walked Dora to metro to go work 3-11, then went to Dia for groceries. Back out again to fruit shop. A little headachey; took a paracetamol. Didn't help; later took a sumatriptan. To bed a little early. Dora had some kind of work-dinner after work, so she didn't get home until almost 3:30. Out after noon. To a pharmacy to buy medicines, and I'm still amazed at the prices here. Box of 60 amitriptyline, box of 30 amoxicillin, box of 20 allergy pills, total less than €7.

To a couple of shops to buy a Santa Claus thing, then to Dia for groceries.

The rest of the day, diving into a lot of Linux and computer-security articles on a lot of web sites. Quiet day. More reading about bug-bounty programs and hacking.

Out in the evening with Dora, to find a bar to watch the Barca game. But no luck, our intended bar said their cable was broken, others weren't showing it, big bar on F-i-P was closed, etc. Ended up doing some shopping, buying a hat for niece and a Catalan-Spanish dictionary for Dora. Wind started blowing, felt very cold, went home. Quiet morning. Out several times in afternoon, to walkd Dora to metro, do shopping, take niece to tutor and pick her up again. Dora out at 8:30 to a class. Around noon, I spent half an hour cleaning out her Yahoo emailbox, down from 5000+ unread messages to 2000.

Before 1, I went to pick her up from class and go to lunch and shopping. Her class finished 45 minutes late, and there were only 2 students left out of 8 by the end. Out, and we took the metro 1 stop to Placa Catalunya. To language class headquarters, and she signed up for Catalan classes starting soon. Out, around the corner, stopped in a clothing store, then into a restaurant and had a nice lunch.

Then back to the clothing store and she bought some shirts. Over and past El Corte Ingles, looking for a bookstore, but never found one. Into a clothing store and bought a couple of pairs of pants for me. Into El Corte Ingles, it's a mob scene as I expected, used the bathrooms, did a little cosmetic-shopping, then out.

Into metro and long ride to F-i-P. Up the main street, stopping at an ATM, then in a bookstore. To eyeglass place and picked up our new eyeglasses. Home by 6:15, tired.

Spent an hour or so bringing Dora's Yahoo emailbox down to less than 1000 unread messages. Dora out at 8:30 to a class. It's going to run until 8 tonight, but she's going to leave early to go work a 7-1 shift.

Dashed out with niece after dinner, to buy school supplies. Out at 10:40 with Dora and her father. Hustled across VA and over to a big modern church we've never been to. Inside, and all of the students of niece's school, and loads of parents and relatives, for a Christmas choral concert. Started with the smallest kids, and I put in earphones and listened to MP3s on my phone, with half an ear for the concert. Eventually the niece's class came up, and of course she's not wearing the hat we bought specially for this. Singing got better as the kids got older. Done by 12:15 or so, out by 12:30 or so, detour to a toy store, home before 1.

Dora dragged me out again around 4. To Llucmajor metro, rode the line most of the way to the other end, out at Selva de Mar. Into a big skin-care-products office building, where Dora cajoled various people in person or over house-phone for about an hour before someone accepted the medicines she was trying to return. Nowhere to sit while I waited.

Across the street to a bar, for bathroom and coffees and relaxation. Headache; took a paracetamol. Dora took a Neobrufen. Back into metro, long ride back to Llucmajor. Stopped at a fruit shop, home after 6:45. Still headache; took a sumatriptan.

Later, spent an hour or so cutting Dora's GMail account down from 1600 unread messages to 7 unread messages. Dora's son arrived from Slovakia. His flight landed about 9, but he didn't get here until 11:15, because there are strikes disrupting the roads and transport today. But they only delayed him maybe half an hour.

Out at 12:30 to hit ATM and then carnisseria. Home, and cooked ribs and rice and salad for dinner.

Dora out to meet a Catalan teacher from 3:30 to 5 or so. Then I went out with Dora before 6, to meet niece's teacher, consult with her, pay her another €100. To a locutorio to buy calling-cards, then home. I'm feeling a little cold and a little headachey.

Headache; took a NeoBrufen and later a sumatriptan. Up at 7:30; most of the others were up earlier, getting ready for their trip to the north for Christmas. I went out at 8 and hit an ATM. Taxi showed up at 8:30, but we ordered two, and they sent only one. Most of the people and luggage into the taxi, and soon Dora's father and I were hustling out to the main street with two big items to flag down a taxi. Took 5 minutes or so, not bad.

To bus station, the others are waiting for us. Into the station, down to the buses, and we're almost 45 minutes early. Bus shows up 20 minutes later, starts loading. Luggage on, say good-bye to everyone, they board, and I watch to make sure no one opens the luggage compartment and steals anything. Bus leaves on time at 9:45. To metro, home by 10:20. Apartment is empty; I missed Dora by about 10 minutes as she went out to work 11-11. Quiet here.

Out in midafternoon for a short walk and to Dia for groceries.

Dora home after 11:30. Dora struggled to get out of bed this morning, went off to work 11-11. After noon, I went shopping for a Christmas present for her.

After 2, out to VA plaza, waited 10-15 minutes for H6 bus, off to Park Guell. Ages ago I registered for free entrance as a resident. Went to ticket point, and their handheld for taking my fingerprint isn't working. But they called someone on the walkie-talkie, read my NIE to them, and let me in.

Wandered around the central area for a while, in no hurry. Took some pictures, sat for a while, listened to my MP3s. Pics. They're renovating the central flat area, so I read the brochure and looked at the exposed parts, and it was very interesting.

Eventually out. Down to main road, and caught a bus within 30 seconds. Out near VA, to fruit shop, home after 5. Quiet day. Out for groceries, cooked ribs and pesto-pasta and salad for dinner. Gave Dora a present (perfume). Out for walk with her in late afternoon. Up at 6:45. Dora off to work 8 AM to 10 PM. Around 8, I went back to bed for a while.

Out at 1:15. Metro, connect, out at Poble Sec, to Dora's clinic, waited 10-15 minutes for her. A bit of walking to find a place for lunch, and then food took a while to come. She was back to work after 3, and I walked up to Sepulveda and over to Universitat, but only some cafes were open, little else. Street art: pics. Metro, to ATM, and home after 4. A TV channel is replaying all of Messi's goals, some 600 of them, fun to watch.

Dora home early, around 9 instead of 10:45 as I expected. Slept late, up at 11. Quiet day, with Dora. Out for a walk in late afternoon; fairly chilly. Quiet morning. I cooked a nice chicken-rice-salad dinner. Dora out after 2 to work 3-11. Leftovers for dinner. Dora out after 2 to work 3-11. She's had a sore throat for the last couple of days. Cooked spaghetti for dinner. Headache in early evening; took a sumatriptan. Went out for groceries; cold out. We had mentioned going dancing tonight, but neither of us is quite healthy; gave it a miss. Quiet day, didn't go outside. A bi.t windy and cold out there. Dora out to work 3-11. I walked her to metro and then went to ECI to mail a letter.

Out before 11. A bit cold out. To metro, to Arc station, started waiting for Dora. Waited about half an hour, counted 12 people who cheated the turnstiles in that time. She arrived about 11:40, and we went up and over to the Arc de Triomf. Not many people here. Pics. Strolled down the promenade and back, feeling cold. Then it was midnight, and we kissed and ate 12 grapes each, and listened to fireworks that were a little too low to see. No cafes open. Phone call with the family in the north.

Soon into the metro, and home by 12:45 or so. Drank some cava, ate a little chocolate. I'm in bed by 1:30, Dora by 2:30.